rove

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈrōv 

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

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• bat
• cruise
• drift
• float
• gad (about)
• gallivant
• galavant
• kick around
• knock (about)
• maunder
• meander
• mooch
• ramble
• range
• roam
• traipse
• wander

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

Actress Kerry Washington practically lives on the campaign trail these days, and the Congressional Black Caucus has been a roving roadshow for the campaign. —Philip Eliott / Detroit, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024

Its roving purple bus provides on-site health screenings, vaccinations, and management of chronic conditions. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2024

Noun

As the novel roves from Manhattan to Manchester, New Hampshire; from Los Angeles to Chicago, David, whose true ambition is to be a writer, uses his new role to sharpen his ear and eye. —Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2024

Guillermo Herrera worked in the same road crew as Whitt, which roves throughout the company’s western region repairing tracks. —Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 16 Dec. 2023

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

Phrases Containing rove

• eyes rove
• rove beetle

Kids Definition

rove

verb

ˈrōv

roved; roving

: roam sense 1