Random — Defs

01 n. Force; violence.

1.
Force; violence.[Obs.]
“For courageously the two kings newly fought with great random and force.” — E. Hall.
2.
A roving motion; course without definite direction; want of direction, rule, or method; hazard; chance; -- commonly used in the phrase at random, that is, without a settled point of direction; at hazard.
“Counsels, when they fly At random, sometimes hit most happily.” — Herrick.

“O, many a shaft, at random sent, Finds mark the archer little meant!” — Sir W. Scott.
3.
Distance to which a missile is cast; range; reach; as, the random of a rifle ball.
4.
The direction of a rake-vein.(Mining)

02 a. Going at random or by chance; done or made at hazard, or without settled direction, aim, or purpose; hazarded without previous calculation;…

1.
Going at random or by chance; done or made at hazard, or without settled direction, aim, or purpose; hazarded without previous calculation; left to chance; haphazard; as, a random guess.
“Some random truths he can impart.” — Wordsworth.

“So sharp a spur to the lazy, and so strong a bridle to the random.” — H. Spencer.
2.
Of, pertaining to, or resulting from a process of selection from a starting set of items, in which the probability of selecting any one object in the starting set is equal to the probability of selecting any other.(Statistics)
3.
of unequal size or shape; made from components of unequal size or shape.(Construction)

Phrases & compounds

at random — in a manner so that all possible results have an equal probability of occurrence; for processes, each possible result is counted separately although the same type of result may occur more than once .

Random courses — courses of stone of unequal thickness.

Random shot — a shot not directed or aimed toward any particular object, or a shot with the muzzle of the gun much elevated.

Random work — stonework consisting of stones of unequal sizes fitted together, but not in courses nor always with flat beds.