noun
Uncommon
rover
ROH-vuh
Rover (noun) means someone or something that wanders or travels widely, including robotic vehicles used to explore other planets. Example: “The Mars rover sent back stunning images of the surface.”
noun
1
Someone or something that wanders or travels widely, including robotic vehicles used to explore other planets.
"The Mars rover sent back stunning images of the surface."
"He was always a rover, never settling in one city for long."
"As a rover at heart, she spent her twenties travelling from country to country."
2
Historically, a pirate or someone who plunders.
"The rovers raided coastal villages for centuries."
How to use rover
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishToday mostly used for wandering explorers, especially space rovers, or as a classic dog's name.
Common pairings
space rover
Mars rover
a natural rover
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like rover.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- rovers
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The Mars _____ sent back stunning images of the surface.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch rôver ("pillager, robber"), ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to plunder."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for rover
See all rhymes for rover →Frequently asked questions
What does “rover” mean?
The word “rover” means someone or something that wanders or travels widely, including robotic vehicles used to explore other planets. In plain terms, today mostly used for wandering explorers, especially space rovers, or as a classic dog's name.
How do you pronounce “rover”?
“Rover” is pronounced ROH-vuh (/ˈɹoʊvɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “rover” in a sentence?
Here is “rover” used in a sentence: “The Mars rover sent back stunning images of the surface.”
What part of speech is “rover”?
“Rover” is a noun.
Where does the word “rover” come from?
The word “rover” comes from Proto-Germanic. From Middle Dutch rôver ("pillager, robber"), ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to plunder.".
Is “rover” a common word?
“Rover” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “rover” have?
“Rover” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: someone or something that wanders or travels widely, including robotic vehicles used to explore other planets.
What is the difference between a rover and a nomad?
Both describe someone who travels widely rather than staying in one place, but nomad usually implies a lifestyle tied to a culture or group that moves seasonally, while rover more often describes an individual who wanders casually or without a fixed purpose. Rover is also used for robotic exploration vehicles, a sense nomad does not carry.
Why are space exploration vehicles called rovers?
They are called rovers because, like a wandering traveler, they move across a surface, in this case another planet or moon, to explore and gather data. The name reflects their function of roaming rather than staying fixed in one location.
What did rover historically mean besides a wanderer?
Historically, rover could also refer to a pirate or someone who plundered, a sense that has largely fallen out of common use. Today the word is almost always understood as either a wanderer or an exploration vehicle.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include rover:
