1. a pathological tendency to wander from place to place and repeatedly change one’s residence and occupation, often giving rise to instability and social maladjustment. In milder form, this tendency may be an attempt to escape from a distressing situation or from responsibility, but in extreme form, it may be associated with brain damage, epilepsy, intellectual disability, or psychosis. See also dromomania; poriomania.

2. the lifestyle of a group of people with no fixed residence, characterized by frequent movement from place to place, often in search of resources or in accordance with seasonal changes.