From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Random \Ran"dom\, a.
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.
[1913 Webster]
Some random truths he can impart. --Wordsworth.
[1913 Webster]
So sharp a spur to the lazy, and so strong a bridle
to the random. --H. Spencer.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Statistics) 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.
[PJC]
3. (Construction) of unequal size or shape; made from
components of unequal size or shape.
[PJC]
{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} (Masonry), 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} (Masonry), stonework consisting of stones of
unequal sizes fitted together, but not in courses nor
always with flat beds.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
at random
adv 1: in a random manner; "the houses were randomly scattered";
"bullets were fired into the crowd at random" [syn:
{randomly}, {indiscriminately}, {haphazardly}, {willy-
nilly}, {arbitrarily}, {at random}, {every which way}]
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