rover
rover Lexical Profile
rover Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A robotic or crewed vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet or other celestial body to collect scientific data and samples.
"The space agency's latest rover transmitted high-resolution photographs of the ancient Martian riverbed back to Earth."
A person who spends their time wandering or traveling from place to place without a fixed destination.
"A restless rover at heart, he never stayed in the same town for more than a few months."
In various team sports, a player not restricted to a single fixed position who is free to move across the field or court as play demands.
"The coach assigned the fastest midfielder to act as a rover, disrupting the opposing team's passing lanes across the pitch."
A pirate or sea robber, or an armed vessel used for piracy (historical or archaic).
"Merchant ships in the sixteenth century sailed in armed convoys to protect their cargo from coastal rovers."
• Rhymes for rover
Word Origin & Etymology
The word encompasses two distinct Middle English roots: the sense of a wanderer derives from the verb 'rove' (to roam), whereas the historical sense of a sea pirate comes from Middle Low German 'rover' (robber), sharing an Indo-European root with 'rob' and 'reave'.