Showing results for "rove"

• past tense form of reeve.

rove

¹ American  

[rohv] / roʊv /

verb (used without object)

roved, roving

1. to wander about without definite destination; move hither and thither at random, especially over a wide area.

   Synonyms:

   stray, amble, stroll

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verb (used with object)

roved, roving

1. to wander over or through; traverse.

   to rove the woods.

noun

1. an act or instance of roving.

rove ² American  

[rohv] / roʊv /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of reeve.

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rove ³ American  

[rohv] / roʊv /

verb (used with object)

roved, roving

1. to form (slivers of wool, cotton, etc.) into slightly twisted strands in a preparatory process of spinning.

2. to draw fibers or the like through an eye or other small opening.

3. to attenuate, compress, and twist slightly in carding.

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noun

1. British. roving.

rove ¹ British  

/ rəʊv /

verb

1. to wander about (a place) with no fixed direction; roam

2. (intr) (of the eyes) to look around; wander

3. to show a widespread amorous interest in the opposite sex

4. (intr) Australian rules football to play as a rover

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noun

1. the act of roving

rove ² British  

/ rəʊv /

verb

1. (tr) to pull out and twist (fibres of wool, cotton, etc) lightly, as before spinning or in carding

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noun

1. wool, cotton, etc, thus prepared

rove ³ British  

/ rəʊv /

noun

1. a metal plate through which a rivet is passed and then clenched over

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rove ⁴ British  

/ rəʊv /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of reeve 2

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Synonym Usage

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

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Explanation

To rove is to wander around, often aimlessly. You may like to rove at work or school, but chances are you’ve probably got somewhere you’re supposed to be. Roving can be a way of life. Someone who roves may not have a permanent home, and they may wander from town to town in search of food or work. Rove can also refer to other types of wandering. A roving reporter wanders the streets looking for people to interview. At a crowded party, your eyes might rove around the room as you look for someone you know — or someone you’d like to meet. And, as you fall asleep, your mind might rove over the events of the day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rove roved roving

Its species name honors Dr. Harald Schillhammer of the Natural History Museum Vienna for his extensive and outstanding contributions to rove beetle research.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

Parker, speaking from his office, which is decorated in white decals of rove beetles — which his lab exclusively focuses on — said it pays to explore “obscure branches of the tree of life.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026

In the Mournes, Mr Fisher said rove beetles and other insects "support the skylarks and the meadow pipits that come from the lowlands to nest up in the uplands during this time of year".

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025

In response, Metro says it transferred pairs of security guards from elsewhere to rove the H Line, which connects downtown to Burien, “for the foreseeable future,” spokesperson Al Sanders said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 6, 2023

Never the flaming eye of Helios lights on those men at morning, when he climbs the sky of stars, nor in descending earthward out of heaven; ruinous night being rove over those wretches.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

A team of nearly 50 supported operations during the festival as the astronaut roved the grounds at a speed of less than five miles an hour.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

Icebergs as large as cities, potentially tens of kilometres wide, once roved the coasts of the UK, according to scientists.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2025

Throughout campus, private security vehicles positioned themselves in well-traveled areas and roved the streets as part of the university’s pledge to maintain a stepped-up presence for students’ arrival.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 11, 2023

I sat alone on my couch in Columbia, S.C.; my three sons roved around me.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 2, 2022

Cora hadn’t left the top floors of the house in months but her perspective roved widely.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Tesla’s photos and promotional materials gave a hint of the Cybertruck roving around another planet, a clear nod to Musk’s own spacefaring ambitions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Ahead of the series, there had been reports that Radebe would be used as a "roving reporter".

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

A churro cart vendor who had operated in South Los Angeles for more than a decade stopped vending altogether for six weeks at the peak of the roving sweeps, losing an estimated $5,000 in income.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Yet investors are unlikely to care about Demand Progress’ roving billboards in Washington.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Only a few people were watching at first, and half of them were Heck’s Angels, a roving tricycle gang of four- and five-year-olds.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

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