traverse

1 of 3

verb

tra·​verse trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 also  tra-ˈvərs,
or
ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
traversed; traversing

transitive verb

1
a
: 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
4
a
: 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
5
a
: 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
3
a
: 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
traversable
trə-ˈvər-sə-bəl How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 also  tra-ˈvər-
 or  ˈtra-(ˌ)vər-
adjective
traverser noun

traverse

2 of 3

noun

tra·​verse ˈtra-vərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 also  -ˌvərs,
especially for senses 6 and 8 also
trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 or  tra-ˈvərs
1
: something that crosses or lies across
2
3
: a formal denial of a matter of fact alleged by the opposing party in a legal pleading
4
a
: 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
8
a
: 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

3 of 3

adjective

tra·​verse ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs How to pronounce traverse (audio) trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
tra-ˈvərs
: lying across : transverse

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
The website reported that two helicopter crews and multiple police officers rushed to the scene after the man fell off the end of a 120-foot-long ladder known as a via ferrata, which climbers can traverse between cliff faces. Greg Norman, Fox News, 20 Sep. 2023 Unlike in Los Angeles, newly arriving residents do not need a car to traverse the New York region. Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023 Much like Hernández in the film, Márquez Abella is also making history and traversing borders with the biopic: A Million Miles Away is her English-language debut. Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 14 Sep. 2023 Guests of this summer’s Four Seasons Drive Experience spent a week traversing the Alps in brand new Ferraris and vintage Mercedes. Paul Jebara, Town & Country, 5 Sep. 2023 North of Linden, the project includes additional lanes on Alabama State Route 69, which traverses north to Moundville. John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 5 Sep. 2023 Last fall, Little Amal traversed all five boroughs of New York City during her first U.S. visit. Abigail Gruskin, Baltimore Sun, 14 Sep. 2023 The traction devices are fitted over shoes and can be used to traverse moderate snow. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023 So much of Janet Planet is about traversing space and being in nature. Liz Appel, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2023
Noun
Taken together, the data illustrates, in cinematic detail, a day in the life of a whale: its every breath and every dive, its traverses through fields of sea nettles and jellyfish, its encounters with twirling sea lions. Camille Bromley, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023 The House voted unanimously on Thursday to condemn China for letting its surveillance balloon traverse American airspace without warning or apology. Kenneth Rapoza, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023 As for that limestone cliff, it’s set to become the site of an 800-foot horizontal traverse designed for a mountaineering style of climbing called a via ferrata—the very first such urban route in the country. Amelia Arvesen, Outside Online, 7 Sep. 2022 And speaking of that, the saw is equipped with 16-inch wheels to help it better ride over bumpy surfaces and traverse stairs, if need be. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 24 Feb. 2021 Enfield residents and visitors alike, numbering in the hundreds, lined Enfield Street on Dec. 5, to watch a parade of fire trucks, construction vehicles, buses and vehicles from local businesses - each one decorated in holiday lights - traverse from South Road to Alden Avenue. Steve Smith, courant.com, 9 Dec. 2021 Back in October, a buddy and I hiked the 23-mile Sandia Mountain traverse that goes up and over the entire length of the range outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 6 Feb. 2023 During the traverse through Arizona, the Sunset Limited cuts through downtown Tucson (less than 20 minutes south of Saguaro National Park) and passes just south of Phoenix. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2023 Monkey bar traverse: 40 seconds. Andrew Heffernan, Men's Health, 15 Feb. 2023
Adjective
The roughly 90-minute afternoon shows traverse uneven terrain, so prepare accordingly. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023 Inspired by a desire to descend to vents on Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus and enter the subsurface ocean, this versatile robot is being developed to autonomously map, traverse, and explore previously inaccessible destinations on Earth, the moon, and other worlds in our solar system. IEEE Spectrum, 12 May 2023 The Jeep Wrangler can ford rivers, crawl over boulders, traverse deserts and blaze through uncharted territory. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 7 May 2023 In 2007, Homeland Security Investigations, an agency that deals with cases of smuggling that traverse international borders, received information about looted artifacts brought to the New York City area from India. Ben Fox, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2021 So the new course is probably going to start in Milwaukee and traverse to southern counties. Lori Nickel, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023 Parts of the 6-mile trail for off-road biking or hiking are heavily forested and traverse steep ancient dunes; $6 per vehicle. Clara Bosonetto, ajc, 17 Dec. 2013 Most of these competitions take place on trails, or terrain off the paved roadways runners traverse during traditional road races. Brett Williams, Men's Health, 17 Nov. 2022 The stripe, which will take 50 gallons of blue paint to complete, will be four inches wide and traverse five bridges in the city and approximately 300 intersections. Michela Moscufo, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'traverse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traverse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near traverse

Cite this Entry

“Traverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traverse. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

traverse

1 of 3 noun
trav·​erse
ˈtra-vərs
1
: something that crosses or lies across
2
: a curved or zigzag path along the face of a steep slope
3
: the act or an instance of traversing
stopped to rest in their traverse of the mountain

traverse

2 of 3 verb
tra·​verse trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
traversed; traversing
1
: to go against : oppose
2
a
: to pass through, across, or over
traversed the historic fields
b
: to lie or extend across
a bridge traverses the river
3
: to make a study of : examine
4
: to move back and forth or from side to side
pedestrians traversing the busy intersection
5
: to climb or ski at an angle or in a zigzag course

traverse

3 of 3 adjective
trav·​erse
ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs,
trə-ˈvərs
: lying across : transverse

Legal Definition

traverse

1 of 2 noun
: a denial of a matter of fact alleged in the opposing party's pleadings
also : a pleading in which such a denial is made

traverse

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to deny (as an allegation of fact or an indictment) in a legal proceeding
Etymology

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

More from Merriam-Webster on traverse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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