rove

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈrōv 

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

Synonyms of rove

Verb (1)

• roam
• wander
• drift

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

Verb (1)

buffalo roving over the vast plains

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

End roving Immigration and Customs Enforcement patrols, enforce measures to hold rogue operations to account and have agents remove masks and wear body cameras. —David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026

In contrast, in Mayor Cavalier Johnson's view, the federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis makes the public less safe, pointing to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the groups of roving agents making daily arrests. —Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Devon Witherspoon ranks among the best cornerbacks in football, and made the All-Pro second team while roving between outside corner and nickelback. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Jan. 2026

Nick Shirley, a roving 23-year-old with a smartphone and a taste for outrage, made a YouTube video with unfounded allegations of fraud at daycares operated by the local Somali American community. —Mia Sato, The Verge, 29 Jan. 2026

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

Phrases Containing rove

• eyes rove
• rove beetle

Rhymes for rove

• clove
• cove
• drove
• shrove
• stove
• strove
• throve
• trove
• wove
• alcove
• mangrove

Kids Definition

rove

verb

ˈrōv

roved; roving

: roam sense 1