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 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 of rover

Noun (2)

• nomad
• wanderer
• traveler
• drifter
• roamer
• 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

Perseverance reached the milestone distance while traveling along the western rim of of Mars' Jezero Crater, where the rover has been tasked with investigating what scientists believe may be some of the oldest terrain in the solar system. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

In a milestone achievement, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has broken the record for most miles driven on a world beyond Earth. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Notably, Rosalind Franklin is currently the only future Mars rover with any NASA involvement. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026

As part of this, the Power Tower is envisioned by Blue Origin as the core of a microgrid of such towers connected together to charge rovers, habitats, and mining or ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization) processing units. — David Szondy october 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026

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