rove

1 of 5

verb (1)

roved; roving

intransitive verb

: to move aimlessly : roam

transitive verb

: to wander through or over

rove

2 of 5

noun (1)

: an act or instance of wandering

rove

3 of 5

past tense and past participle of reeve

rove

4 of 5

verb (2)

roved; roving

transitive verb

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

rove

5 of 5

noun

: roving
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
The roving piece of artwork recently turned up in Detroit, the third swing state with a close battle in the presidential race on its tour. Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 12 Oct. 2024 Shocking new footage captured the moment a roving band of teens and two city housing authority workers allegedly beat former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson in the Big Apple. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 11 Oct. 2024 In some ways, the move emulates one made at ABC News that set up Diane Sawyer as a sort of roving correspondent who could take on stories and interviews that made news on their own, but weren’t necessarily tied to the immediate news cycle. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 July 2024 Let’s waste time, chasing Cuarón: Our roving International Editor-at-Large chased Alfonso Cuarón across a lawn this week in Colorado. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rove 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rove.' 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 (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

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rove was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near rove

Cite this Entry

“Rove.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rove. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

rove

verb
ˈrōv
roved; roving

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