Word: rover Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From rove (“to roam, wander; (archery) to shoot an arrow randomly”) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns from verbs). Rove is derived from Late Middle English *roven, rove (“to wander”); further etymology uncertain, possibly an English Midlands variant of Northern England raven, rave (“to rove, stray, wander”), possibly from Old Norse ráfa (“to roam, wander”) (although rove and rave are only attested much later), possibly from Proto-Germanic *wabōną, *wabjaną (“to cause to weave; to entangle, wrap”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”). Pronunciation: /ˈɹəʊvə/, /ˈɹoʊvɚ/, /ˈɾovəɾ/, /ˈɾoːvə/ 1. One who roves: a person or animal that travels around, especially over a wide area, without a fixed destination; a nomad, a roamer, a wanderer. Example: But these islands, undisturbed for years, relapsed into their previous obscurity; and it is only recently that anything has been known concerning them. Once in the course of a half century, to be sure, some adventurous rover would break in upon their peaceful repose. and astonished at the unusual scene, would be almost tempted to claim the merit of a new discovery. Example: I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, / To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife; / And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, / And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over. 2. A restless, unsteady person who does not settle down; specifically (historical), a flirtatious, unfaithful man; a rake. Labels: broadly, dated Example: Near-synonyms: see Thesaurus:libertine Example: She is a rover and dislikes any sort of ties, physical or emotional. 3. Also rover ticket: a person who has a ticket for an event, performance, etc., but no assigned seat, and so has to find a place to sit or stand. Labels: broadly, historical 4. A small manned or unmanned land vehicle for exploring extraterrestrial bodies. Labels: broadly Example: September 19, 2005, Dave Lane, Mars Exploration Rover "OPPORTUNITY" NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is currently traveling southward over a pavement of outcrop dubbed the "Erebus Highway." "Erebus Crater," the rover's next target, lies less than 100 meters (328 feet) south of its current position 5. A defensive back position whose coverage responsibilities are a combination of those of a cornerback, linebacker, and safety; also, a player playing this position. Labels: broadly Example: I went to Coach Beamer and, because we had a lot of outside linebackers, ask him if I could play rover. 6. Chiefly in the plural in the form to shoot at rovers: a target randomly selected by an archer, usually for practice; also, a fixed target for practising long-distance shooting. Labels: broadly, historical Example: "By my hilt! no. There was little Robby Withstaff, and Andrew Salblaster, and Wat Alspaye, who broke the neck of the German. Mon Dieu! what men they were! Take them how you would, at long butts or short, hoyles, rounds, or rovers, better bowmen never twirled a shaft over their thumb-nails. 7. A type of heavy arrow used for long-distance shooting. Labels: broadly, obsolete Example: All sorts, flights, rovers, and butt shafts. 8. A position that is one of three of a team's followers making up a ruck, who follow the ball around the ground; also, a player playing this position, who is generally fast and skilful at receiving the ball, and formerly of shorter stature. Labels: broadly 9. In full rover ball: a ball which has passed through all the hoops and would peg out if it hit the stake but is continued in play to help fellow players or obstruct opposing players; also, the player of such a ball. Labels: broadly 10. Alternative letter-case form of Rover (“an early type of safety bicycle with a lower riding position than previous models”). Labels: alt-of, broadly, historical 11. A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV) or remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Labels: broadly 12. Alternative letter-case form of Rover (“Short for Land Rover (“a type of road vehicle capable of being driven off-road”)”). Labels: alt-of, broadly 13. The tenth defensive player in slow-pitch softball. Labels: broadly 14. A forward whose responsibility was to feed the scrum and protect the scrum-half; the position was abandoned after a 1931 rule change. Labels: broadly, historical 15. Alternative letter-case form of Rover (“Short for Rover Scout (“a member of a Scouting organization for young men too old to be Boy Scouts”)”). Labels: UK, alt-of, broadly 16. Especially in rover ticket: a type of pass, ticket, etc., that allows the holder unlimited travel on certain types of public transport for specified periods. Labels: UK, attributive, broadly 17. In full rover patrol: an airborne reconnaissance patrol. Labels: UK, broadly, historical