red rover

American

noun

a children's game in which two teams, some distance apart, face each other and take turns designating an opposing player to run toward their line. Any player who fails to break through their clasped hands becomes a member of that team.

Etymology

Origin of red rover

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

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.

Red rover, red rover: “Nova” tracks the progress of NASA’s Perseverance Rover in the new episode “Looking for Life on Mars.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2021

Red rover, red rover: “Expedition Mars” recalls the successes of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2016

Johann Sebastian Joust is a folk game like tag or red rover.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2015

Down sunk the sun of bloody hue, His crimson light a cleaver To each red rover of a wave: To eye of fancy-weaver, Neptune, the god, seemed tossing in A raging scarlet fever!

From The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood by Hood, Thomas

Still nearer the red rover came, his proud plume fairly quivering with excitement.

From A Tale of the Kloster A Romance of the German Mystics at the Cocalico by Jabez, Brother

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023