roving
1 Americanadjective
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roaming or wandering.
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not assigned or restricted to any particular location, area, topic, etc..
a roving editor.
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not assigned to any particular diplomatic post but having a special mission.
a roving ambassador.
noun
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a soft strand of fiber that has been twisted, attenuated, and freed of foreign matter preparatory to its conversion into yarn.
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the final phase of carding, in which this is done.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of roving1
First recorded in 1590–1600; rove 1 + -ing 2
Origin of roving2
Explanation
Roving things or people are in motion, like a roving reporter who travels to cover stories instead of staying put at her desk. Some roving animals are migrating, moving from one point on the globe to another. Roving travelers might be folks who live out of their camper as they wander across the country. And your job might be described as roving, too: "I work as a roving news photographer." Roving comes from the verb rove, "wander," which earlier meant "shoot arrows at a mark selected at random."
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.
In the meantime it's a sportsman's bet where the roving eye of the bond markets will focus next.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Across an itinerant urgency of walks, drives, embraces, laughs, threats, nervy meetings, shared meals, phone calls and tearful testimony, Loktev’s immersive portrait of roving defiance is as necessary as nonfiction gets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Maybe the answer was enmeshed in the question,” she tells readers in “The Butterfly Season,” a roving account of her adventure, first published in Denmark last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Yet investors are unlikely to care about Demand Progress’ roving billboards in Washington.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Other than the bright and roving eyes of IMagdalene called Lena and First Corinthians, the Packard had no real lived life at all.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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