traverse

[ trav-ers, truh-vurs ]

/ ˈtræv ərs, trəˈvɜrs /

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See synonyms for: traverse / traversed / traversing / traversable on Thesaurus.com

Definition of traverse

verb (used with object), trav·ersed, trav·ers·ing.

to pass or move over, along, or through.

to go to and fro over or along.

to extend across or over: A bridge traverses the stream.

to go up, down, or across (a rope, mountain, hill, etc.) at an angle: The climbers traversed the east face of the mountain.

to ski across (a hill or slope).

to cause to move laterally.

to look over, examine, or consider carefully; survey; consider.

to go counter to; obstruct; thwart.

to contradict or deny.

Law.

(in the law of pleading) to deny formally (an allegation of fact set forth in a previous pleading).
to join issue upon.

to turn and point (a gun) in any direction.

verb (used without object), trav·ersed, trav·ers·ing.

to pass along or go across something; cross: a point in the river where we could traverse.

to ski across a hill or slope on a diagonal.

to turn laterally, as a gun.

Fencing. to glide the blade toward the hilt of the contestant's foil while applying pressure to the blade.

noun

the act of passing across, over, or through.

something that crosses, obstructs, or thwarts; obstacle.

a transversal or similar line.

a place where one may traverse or cross; crossing.

Architecture. a transverse gallery or loft of communication in a church or other large building.

a bar, strip, rod, or other structural part placed or extending across; crosspiece; crossbar.

a railing, lattice, or screen serving as a barrier.

Nautical.

the zigzag track of a vessel compelled by contrary winds or currents to sail on different courses.
each of the runs in a single direction made in such sailing.

Fortification.

a defensive barrier, parapet, or the like, placed transversely.
a defensive barrier thrown across the terreplein or the covered way of a fortification to protect it from enfilade fire.

Gunnery. the horizontal turning of a gun so as to make it point in any required direction.

Machinery.

the motion of a lathe tool or grinding wheel along a piece of work.
a part moving along a piece of work in this way, as the carriage of a lathe.

Surveying. a series of intersecting surveyed lines whose lengths and angles of intersection, measured at instrument stations, are recorded graphically on a map and in numerical form in data tables.Compare closed traverse.

Law. a formal denial of some matter of fact alleged by the other side.

adjective

lying, extending, or passing across; transverse.

OTHER WORDS FOR traverse

1 cross.

9 gainsay, dispute, challenge.

See synonyms for traverse on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of traverse

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English traversen, from Middle French traverser ”to cross,” from Late Latin trānsversāre, derivative of Latin trānsversus (see trans-, versus); (noun) Middle English travers(e), from Middle French traverse (from Latin trānsversa “something lying across,” feminine of trānsversus ) and travers (from Latin trānsversum passage across, neuter of trānsversus )

OTHER WORDS FROM traverse

tra·vers·a·ble, adjectivetra·vers·al, nountra·vers·er, nounnon·tra·vers·a·ble, adjective

re·trav·erse, verb, re·trav·ersed, re·trav·ers·ing.un·tra·vers·a·ble, adjectiveun·trav·ersed, adjective

Words nearby traverse

travel time, travel trailer, Traven, Travers, traversal, traverse, Traverse City, traverse jury, traverse rod, travertine, travesty

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use traverse in a sentence

As the hurts are revealed, they offer unexpected insights that traverse generations.
He knew his grandfather was a mob boss. But was that the whole story?|Joe Heim|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Yesterday, that space was traversed by a rioter carrying a Confederate flag.
The Breach of the Capitol Spooked Us — As It Should Have|Philip Elliott|January 7, 2021|Time
As Ellie Mae’s numbers show, the convergence of the lockdown and bargain home loans is luring customers to traverse far more of the passage online.
First he took energy trading and the NYSE electronic. Now Jeff Sprecher of ICE shares his plans to digitize your mortgage|Shawn Tully|September 2, 2020|Fortune
Big city races are off the cards for 2020, which helps explain the explosion in runners trying to clock the fastest known time traversing everything from the Appalachian Trail to the road through Central Park.
At Long Last, Baseball’s (Almost) Back|Sarah Shachat|July 21, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

More than 800 years ago, Indigenous people in South America traversed more than 7,000 kilometers of open sea to reach eastern Polynesia, a new study suggests.
South Americans may have traveled to Polynesia 800 years ago|Bruce Bower|July 8, 2020|Science News
He was known to traverse Brooklyn to visit somebody a decade older than himself in a nursing home.
How Brooklyn’s First Ice Cream Girl Fought City Hall–and Won|Michael Daly|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The heat makes beads of sweat run down your armpits and traverse your hips before dampening your drawers.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Extend your Fourth of July vacation with a trip to Traverse City, also known as the “cherry capital of the world.”
America’s Best Summer Food Festivals|Lonely Planet|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Elizabeth Banks stars as a woman who has to traverse a city after losing her wallet post-one-night stand.
Why We Need to Stop Using the Phrase ‘Walk of Shame’|Amanda Marcotte|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maps are enormous, and players have to traverse huge amounts of terrain.
‘Killzone: Shadow Fall’ Review: Oh My God, This PlayStation 4 Game Is Beautiful|Alec Kubas-Meyer|November 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The streets, as I have already mentioned, are tolerably lively: peculiar omnibuses and cabriolets traverse them frequently.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
The onward path would then lead through a void which it would require years to traverse.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
Cakes of dates pounded and kneaded together are the food of the Arabs who traverse the deserts.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
Breaking camp, we encountered rich bottom-lands, difficult to traverse because of the rain.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
For greater secrecy of movement, we divided into small parties, aiming to traverse different roads.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various

British Dictionary definitions for traverse

traverse

/ (ˈtrævɜːs, trəˈvɜːs) /

verb

to pass or go over or back and forth over (something); cross

(tr) to go against; oppose; obstruct

to move or cause to move sideways or crosswise

(tr) to extend or reach across

to turn (an artillery gun) laterally on its pivot or mount or (of an artillery gun) to turn laterally

(tr) to look over or examine carefully

(tr) law to deny (an allegation of fact), as in pleading

(intr) fencing to slide one's blade towards an opponent's hilt while applying pressure against his blade

mountaineering to move across (a face) horizontally

(tr) nautical to brace (a yard) fore and aft

noun

something being or lying across, such as a transom

a gallery or loft inside a building that crosses it

maths another name for transversal (def. 1)

an obstruction or hindrance

fortifications a protective bank or other barrier across a trench or rampart

a railing, screen, or curtain

the act or an instance of traversing or crossing

a path or road across

nautical the zigzag course of a vessel tacking frequently

law the formal denial of a fact alleged in the opposite party's pleading

surveying a survey consisting of a series of straight lines, the length of each and the angle between them being measured

mountaineering a horizontal move across a face

adjective

being or lying across; transverse

adverb

an archaic word for across

Derived forms of traverse

traversable, adjectivetraversal, nountraverser, noun

Word Origin for traverse

C14: from Old French traverser, from Late Latin trānsversāre, from Latin trānsversus transverse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

traverse

Definition of traverse

OTHER WORDS FOR traverse

Origin of traverse

OTHER WORDS FROM traverse

Words nearby traverse

Words related to traverse

How to use traverse in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for traverse

Derived forms of traverse

Word Origin for traverse