rover

1 of 2

noun (1)

ro·​ver ˈrō-vər How to pronounce rover (audio)
: pirate

rover

2 of 2

noun (2)

rov·​er ˈrō-vər How to pronounce rover (audio)
1
: a random or long-distance mark in archery
usually used in plural
2
3
: a player who is not assigned to a specific position on a team and who plays wherever needed
4
: a vehicle for exploring the surface of an extraterrestrial body (such as the moon or Mars)

Examples of rover in a Sentence

Noun (2) ever since he developed a strong case of wanderlust in college, he's been a rover a story of the days when sea rovers plied the Caribbean
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
These could include rovers outfitted with leading-edge cameras, spectrometers and lasers, along with helicopters that could overfly and map the lava tubes that might shelter future habitats. Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 Robots and rovers have previously been deployed on the moon and on Mars, but these machines were largely autonomous and connected over proprietary, specialized communication links to support remote command and control and data transmission. William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 The Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover is from Lunar Outpost. Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025 The Athena lander will also release a smaller rover, called Yaoki, from the Japanese company Dymon. After landing, Athena and co. will operate on the lunar surface for about 10 days, until the lunar night falls on Mons Mouton and darkness overtakes the spacecraft. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rover

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Middle Dutch, from roven to rob; akin to Old English rēafian to reave — more at reave

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rover was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rover. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

rover

1 of 2 noun
ro·​ver ˈrō-vər How to pronounce rover (audio)

rover

2 of 2 noun
rov·​er ˈrō-vər How to pronounce rover (audio)
: a person who roves around : roamer

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