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

Italy’s commitment to build a habitation module and Japan’s contribution of a pressurized rover offer something new to NASA, which didn’t have contracts with US companies to do that work. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

With the Artemis program laying the groundwork for mankind's return to the moon, something like this rover could, manned or unmanned, end up driving across its surface. — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Powered by a large battery, during a lunar mission the robot would inflate itself and charge up from a robotic rover at the edge of a crater before heading out on its own. — IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026

My computer screen shows the area in front of Curiosity covered by dots, each one representing a candidate target for the rover to observe with its cameras, its laser spectrometer, or the sensors on its arm. — Ashwin R. Vasavada, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 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