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

The lawsuit also sought to block roving patrols making stops and arrests based solely on race, language and occupation, and to protect access to counsel rights for people in detention. — Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026

Sally knocks Ian out with a blunt object, and the sisters go roving through the overgrown woods separating them from Lockland Manor. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, Bush convinced Congress to pass the USA Patriot Act, which gave law enforcement and intelligence agencies greater surveillance and investigative powers, including the use of roving wiretaps to track communications across multiple devices. — Michael Collins, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

James roves among the attackers’ perspectives before and during the event, his experimental style, psychological acuity, and ragged lyricism on display. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 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

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

Kids Definition

rove

verb

ˈrōv

roved; roving

: roam sense 1