Tending to wander from topic to topic in speech or writing; rambling or digressive rather than focused and direct. Can also mean proceeding by reasoning rather than intuition.
From Latin 'discursus,' past participle of 'discurrere' meaning 'to run about,' from 'dis-' (apart) and 'currere' (to run). The metaphor of thoughts 'running about' in different directions perfectly captures the wandering nature of discursive thinking.
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