roving

1 of 2

adjective

rov·​ing ˈrō-viŋ How to pronounce roving (audio)
1
a
: not restricted as to location or area of concern
b
: capable of being shifted from place to place : mobile
2
: inclined to ramble or stray
a roving fancy

roving

2 of 2

noun

: a slightly twisted roll or strand of usually textile fibers

Examples of roving in a Sentence

Adjective a roving substitute teacher who works in a different district every day
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Ironically, this teleporting spike ends up a roving metaphor, too malleable and too removed to echo the characters in the foreground. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Curate Your Adventure ArtWorks created this new roving festival, which takes place over the course of one day at three unique venues. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 7 June 2023 In addition, the proposal calls for placing at least one safety officer at every middle school and hiring two more roving officers to elementary schools. oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023 Kevol worked for many years curating dining experiences as part of a band of roving chefs. Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for roving 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

rove entry 1

Noun

rove entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of roving was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near roving

Cite this Entry

“Roving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roving. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

roving

noun
rov·​ing
ˈrō-viŋ
: a slightly twisted roll or strand of textile fibers

More from Merriam-Webster on roving

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!