rove
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
verb (used with object)
-
to form (slivers of wool, cotton, etc.) into slightly twisted strands in a preparatory process of spinning.
-
to draw fibers or the like through an eye or other small opening.
-
to attenuate, compress, and twist slightly in carding.
noun
verb
-
to wander about (a place) with no fixed direction; roam
-
(intr) (of the eyes) to look around; wander
-
to show a widespread amorous interest in the opposite sex
-
(intr) Australian rules football to play as a rover
noun
verb
noun
noun
verb
Related Words
See roam.
Etymology
Origin of rove1
First recorded in 1490–1500; originally, “to shoot at a random target”; perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse rāfa “to stray”; but compare also Old French raver “to roam”
Origin of rove3
First recorded in 1690–1700; of obscure origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He is based in Europe but roving widely, working with bureau chiefs and reporters to catalyze our best reporting from the field.
As a roving correspondent, he did … well, some serious roving.
From Los Angeles Times
Among their demands is requiring officers to wear and turn on body cameras, banning them from wearing masks, and ending the practice of “roving patrols” and instead requiring that they carry out only targeted operations.
From Los Angeles Times
In a paper published in the journal “Cell,” they break down the remarkable ability of one species of rove beetle to live among the typically combative ants.
From Los Angeles Times
They were far less menacing than the roving patrols of soldiers and police officers that were ubiquitous in France.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
