rover

1 of 2

noun (1)

ro·​ver ˈrō-vər 

: pirate

rover

2 of 2

noun (2)

rov·​er ˈrō-vər 

1

: a random or long-distance mark in archery

—usually used in plural

2

: wanderer, roamer

3

: a player who is not assigned to a specific position on a team and who plays wherever needed

4

: a vehicle for exploring the surface of an extraterrestrial body (such as the moon or Mars)

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• drifter
• gadabout
• gypsy
• knockabout
• maunderer
• nomad
• rambler
• roamer
• stroller
• vagabond
• wanderer
• wayfarer

Examples of rover in a Sentence

Noun (2)

ever since he developed a strong case of wanderlust in college, he's been a rover

a story of the days when sea rovers plied the Caribbean

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The fallout from the war in Ukraine brought NASA and ESA together again, with the US government committing to paying roughly $339 million for the Rosalind Franklin rover's launch on an American rocket, along with throttleable descent engines and radioactive heaters for the Mars landing craft. —ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025

On board is a micro rover built by ispace called Tenacious as well as several commercial payloads. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025

If Resilience succeeds on June 5, the lander will deploy a small rover called Tenacious and also operate a suite of scientific instruments on the lunar surface. —Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 2 June 2025

The rover team uses them to assess the rover and monitor how much dust has gathered on the vehicle and its instruments. —Amanda Kooser, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Middle Dutch, from roven to rob; akin to Old English rēafian to reave — more at reave

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rover

• sea rover

Rhymes for rover

• clover
• drover
• over
• prover
• stover
• trover
• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover

Kids Definition

rover

1 of 2 noun

ro·​ver ˈrō-vər 

: pirate entry 1

rover

2 of 2 noun

rov·​er ˈrō-vər 

: a person who roves around : roamer