drove
1 Americanverb
noun
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a number of oxen, sheep, or swine driven in a group; herd; flock.
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Usually droves a large crowd of human beings, especially in motion.
They came to Yankee Stadium in droves.
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Also called drove chisel. Masonry. a chisel, from 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) broad at the edge, for dressing stones to an approximately true surface.
verb (used with or without object)
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to drive or deal in (cattle) as a drover; herd.
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Masonry. to work or smooth (stone) as with a drove.
noun
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a herd of livestock being driven together
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(often plural) a moving crowd of people
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a narrow irrigation channel
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Also called: drove chisel. a chisel with a broad edge used for dressing stone
verb
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(tr) to drive (a group of livestock), usually for a considerable distance
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(intr) to be employed as a drover
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to work (a stone surface) with a drove
verb
Related Words
See flock 1.
Etymology
Origin of drove
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English drāf “that which is driven,” i.e., “herd, flock”; akin to drive
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.
Earlier export controls temporarily slowed China’s AI progress but also drove it to develop domestic substitutes sooner.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
The heat drove many people to the country's beaches to cool off in the water, even though lifeguard supervision is not due to start in many areas until July.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Streeter rendered aid afterward and, with a friend, drove the man to meet an ambulance.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
She drove to Highview Avenue and saw a house that had curb appeal, sophisticated landscaping and interior details like handmade cabinets that she would want in a home.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
As Grandpa and I drove along the main street I asked him if he knew where the library was.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
