Roam, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Roamed; p. pr. & vb. n. Roaming.]
Etymology: [OE. romen, ramen; cf. AS. ar to raise, rise, D. ramen to hit, plan, aim, OS. r to strive after, OHG. ramen. But the word was probably influenced by Rome; cf. OF. romier a pilgrim, originally, a pilgrim going to Rome, It. romeo, Sp. romero. Cf. Ramble.]
To go from place to place without any certain purpose or direction; to rove; to wander. He roameth to the carpenter's house. Chaucer. Daphne roaming through a thorny wood. Shak.
Syn. -- To wander; rove; range; stroll; ramble.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Roam, v. t.
To range or wander over. And now wild beasts came forth the woods to roam. Milton.
Roam, n.
The act of roaming; a wandering; a ramble; as, he began his roam o'er hill amd dale. Milton.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for roam; he lists it under wander.
Where he writes about it:
Range, roam, and rove imply the traversing of considerable, often of vast, distances of land or sea; range commonly implies a purpose; as, cattle range for food; a hunting-dog ranges a field for game. — from wander
Roam and rove are often purposeless, and always without definite aim. — from wander