rove

1 of 5

verb (1)

roved; roving

intransitive verb

: to move aimlessly : roam

transitive verb

: to wander through or over

rove

2 of 5

noun (1)

: an act or instance of wandering

rove

3 of 5

past tense and past participle of reeve

rove

4 of 5

verb (2)

roved; roving

transitive verb

: to join (textile fibers) with a slight twist and draw out into roving

rove

5 of 5

noun

: roving
Choose the Right Synonym for rove

wander, roam, ramble, rove, traipse, meander mean to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose.

wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course.

fond of wandering about the square just watching the people

roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield.

liked to roam through the woods

ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective.

the speaker rambled on without ever coming to the point

rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming.

armed brigands roved over the countryside

traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful.

traipsed all over town looking for the right dress

meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering.

the river meanders for miles through rich farmland

Examples of rove in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
When the townspeople get ahold of the roving prisoners, their grief and anger turn into a violent, unrelenting massacre, with military escorts using the chaos to execute American prisoners at will. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024 The result is the Frenchmen Party, a roving theme party that takes place in different parishes all over the island. Annie Daly, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2024 The roving handheld camera, wielded by the cinematographer Diego Tonorio, follows after her, bearing witness to all manner of family fractiousness along the way. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024 Evening of colour, lights, and community engagement with a silent disco, body art stations, roving performers, more. Michelle Jenkins, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 There are also roving medics, looking out for injured participants throughout the course. USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024 Between classes, grab a canoe to explore the property’s spring-fed lake, hit the hiking trails, and keep an eye out for roving wildlife, including herds of elk and deer that call this alpine paradise home. Julia Eskins, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2024 The Kansas City Fire Department will have roving crews as well as a staffed medical tent on the east side of the National WWI Museum between the north and south lawn. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2024 The trial showed that if Boylan had assigned a roving patrol or night watch or properly trained his crew to fight fires, those 34 people would be alive today. Vicki Moore, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2024
Noun
Guillermo Herrera worked in the same road crew as Whitt, which roves throughout the company’s western region repairing tracks. Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 16 Dec. 2023 While the evening roves among the varied aesthetics of its contributors in a way that at times feels scattered, a consciousness of history grounds and guides it. Siobhan Burke, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rove.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

earlier, to shoot at random, wander, of unknown origin

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

circa 1550, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rove was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near rove

Cite this Entry

“Rove.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rove. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rove

verb
ˈrōv
roved; roving

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