rover

1 of 2

noun (1)

ro·ver ˈrō-vər

Synonyms of rover

: pirate

rover

2 of 2

noun (2)

rov·er ˈrō-vər

: a random or long-distance mark in archery

—usually plural

: wanderer, roamer

: a player who is not assigned to a specific position on a team and who plays wherever needed

: 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

This includes images from Mars rovers starting in the 1990s and data showing that both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 crossed into interstellar space in the 2010s. — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 6 Sep. 2026 Powered by a large battery, during a lunar mission the robot would inflate itself and charge up from a robotic rover at the edge of a crater before heading out on its own. — IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026 Ingenuity’s range was limited by a requirement to communicate through a base station on the Perseverance rover, while SkyFall will be capable of transmitting and receiving data through communications relay orbiters flying overhead. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026 My computer screen shows the area in front of Curiosity covered by dots, each one representing a candidate target for the rover to observe with its cameras, its laser spectrometer, or the sensors on its arm. — Ashwin R. Vasavada, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rover. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

rover

1 of 2 noun

ro·ver ˈrō-vər

: pirate entry 1

rover

2 of 2 noun

rov·er ˈrō-vər

: a person who roves around : roamer

rover

noun (1)

noun (2)

Synonyms of rover

Examples of rover in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

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rover

noun (1)

noun (2)

Synonyms of rover

Examples of rover in a Sentence

Word History

Phrases Containing rover

Rhymes for rover

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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