traverse

verb

tra·verse | \ trə-ˈvərs also tra-ˈvərs or ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs

traversed; traversing

Definition of traverse

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to go or travel across or over

b : to move or pass along or through light rays traversing a crystal

2 : to make a study of : examine

3 : to lie or extend across : cross the bridge traverses a brook

4a : to move to and fro over or along

b : to ascend, descend, or cross (a slope or gap) at an angle

c : to move (a gun) to right or left on a pivot

5a : to go against or act in opposition to : oppose, thwart

b : to deny (something, such as an allegation of fact or an indictment) formally at law

6 : to make or carry out a survey of by using traverses

intransitive verb

1 : to move back and forth or from side to side

2 : to move or turn laterally : swivel

3a : to climb at an angle or in a zigzag course

b : to ski across rather than straight down a hill

4 : to make a survey by using traverses

traverse

noun

tra·verse | \ ˈtra-vərs also -ˌvərs ,

especially for senses 6 and 8 also trə-ˈvərs or tra-ˈvərs \

Definition of traverse (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : something that crosses or lies across

2 : obstacle, adversity

3 : a formal denial of a matter of fact alleged by the opposing party in a legal pleading

4a : a compartment or recess formed by a partition, curtain, or screen

b : a gallery or loft providing access from one side to another in a large building

5 : a route or way across or over: such as

a : a zigzag course of a sailing ship with contrary winds

b : a curving or zigzag way up a steep grade

c : the course followed in traversing

6 : the act or an instance of traversing : crossing

7 : a protective projecting wall or bank of earth in a trench

8a : a lateral movement (as of the saddle of a lathe carriage) also : a device for imparting such movement

b : the lateral movement of a gun about a pivot or on a carriage to change direction of fire

9 : a line surveyed across a plot of ground

traverse

adjective

tra·verse | \ ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs ,

trə-ˈvərs , tra-ˈvərs \

Definition of traverse (Entry 3 of 3)

: lying across : transverse

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Examples of traverse in a Sentence

Verb

The candidates traversed the state throughout the campaign. The river traverses the county.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For one weekend in May, the couple traversed the state, stopping in Wilmington, Braidwood, Utica, Auburn, Alton/Grafton, Springfield and Starved Rock country. — Darcel Rockett, chicagotribune.com, "Illinois tourism sets up couple on 390-mile blind-date road trip," 6 July 2018 Today, no gibbons live anywhere near the Yangtze River gorges Li traversed, and the apes that remain elsewhere in China have fur patterns different from those often depicted in classical Chinese paintings. — Gretchen Vogel, Science | AAAS, "Vanished ape found in ancient Chinese tomb, giving clues to its disappearance," 21 June 2018 Most traversed the journey on 14-axel, 52-wheel trucks while eight that came in too heavy for Washington bridges were shipped through the waters of Puget Sound by boat. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "These 165,000-Pound Columns Will Heft a 38-Story Tower 85 Feet Off the Ground," 12 June 2018 Other navigation services exist (MapQuest lives!), but even the latest Apple Maps can’t beat Google Maps for traversing the real world. — David Pierce, WSJ, "How to Keep Google From Owning Your Online Life," 8 May 2018 Regardless of which all-wheel-drive system is chosen, RAV4s so equipped will have Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select feature, which has engine and traction-control settings optimized for traversing snow, mud, sand, or rocks. — Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, "2019 Toyota RAV4 / RAV4 Hybrid: Sales Champ Gets a Compelling Overhaul," 29 Mar. 2018 Visitors approach the inventive abode by traversing a private road to -- well, of course -- a circular driveway. — Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, "Step into a swank 'Mad Men'-era conversation pit: A round midcentury modern landed in Eugene (photos)," 21 Mar. 2018 After traversing about a mile of the bottom land, the K-9s bayed Carrillo about 30-50 feet up a tree. — Staff Report, Houston Chronicle, "SJC Sheriff: K-9s track Shepherd man who fled police, hid in tree," 14 Feb. 2018 Bavaria, in Germany’s south, was traversed by a large share of the Middle Eastern migrants who entered after Mrs. Merkel’s open-door offer of refuge in 2015. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Let German Voters Try Again," 2 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Highway 20 traverses Clear Lake, Colusa, Yuba City and Nevada City. — Julia Sclafani, sacbee, "'We are at a loss': CHP is unsure why this span of highway in Grass Valley is so deadly," 6 July 2018 Shiffrin was the 19th skier to go down the hill and ended the run 1.98 seconds behind Vonn after looking shaky coming out of the first traverse. — Jason Duaine Hahn, PEOPLE.com, "Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Silver in Olympic Face-Off With Lindsey Vonn at Women's Alpine Combined Race," 22 Feb. 2018 Kilmer last week helped cut the ribbon on Amtrak's new Freighthouse Square station, within his district, which the new $181 million bypass traverses. — Josh Farley, USA TODAY, "Washington officials remain committed to bypass, site of deadly train derailment," 19 Dec. 2017 Analyses by the team, including carbon dating, suggest that the excreta dug up at the Traversette site could date to well within the ballpark of the Punic forces’ traverse. — Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 29 July 2017 The route also crosses seven bridges—including a three-wire bridge and a Tyrolean traverse (basically a horizontal zipline in which climbers clip onto a rope or wire and pull themselves across). — Jennifer Billock, Smithsonian, "Climb a 2,500-Rung Ladder Up New Zealand’s Towering Twin Falls," 19 Oct. 2017 The blue swath on my westernmost map — the Bering Strait, endpoint of my traverse — stretches south to encompass my former hometown of Nome. — Michael Engelhard, Alaska Dispatch News, "Traversing the Brooks Range, step by revealing step," 9 Sep. 2017 Analyses by the team, including carbon dating, suggest that the excreta dug up at the Traversette site could date to well within the ballpark of the Punic forces’ traverse. — Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 29 July 2017 Analyses by the team, including carbon dating, suggest that the excreta dug up at the Traversette site could date to well within the ballpark of the Punic forces’ traverse. — Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 29 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'traverse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for traverse

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French traverser, from Late Latin transversare, from Latin transversus

Noun

Middle English travers, from Anglo-French travers (as in a travers, de travers across), from Latin transversum (as in in transversum set crosswise), neuter of transversus lying across; senses 5–9 in part from traverse entry 1 — more at transverse entry 1

Transitive verb

Anglo-French traverser, literally, to lay across, bar, impede, from Old French, from Late Latin transversare to cross, from Latin transversus lying across

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