rove

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈrōv 

roved; roving

intransitive verb

: to move aimlessly : roam

transitive verb

: to wander through or over

rove

2 of 4

noun (1)

: an act or instance of wandering

rove

3 of 4

verb (2)

roved; roving

transitive verb

: to join (textile fibers) with a slight twist and draw out into roving

rove

4 of 4

noun (2)

: 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

His ploy was to play him centrally, as a roving freelancer, with someone on the left (Rodrygo or Gabriel Martinelli) to do conventional wing work. —Jack Lang, New York Times, 1 June 2026

The final design for NASA will look like a four-wheel drive electric vehicle that can either rove on its own or carry two astronauts and supplies. —Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 31 May 2026

All of that data funnels through a roving technical center that gets disassembled after every race and shipped to the next location. —John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

As a result, Seaside Heights officials have requested FBI support, SWAT teams, Homeland Security agents, mounted state troopers and an increase in roving officers to take to the beaches on Memorial Day weekend. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 22 May 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 (2)

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