Rove, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Roved p. pr. & vb. n. Roving.]
1. To practice robbery on the seas; to wander about on the seas in piracy. [Obs.]
2. Hence, to wander; to ramble; to rauge; to go, move, or pass without certain direction in any manner, by sailing, walking, riding, flying, or otherwise.
For who has power to walk has power to rove. --Arbuthnot.
3. Archery To shoot at rovers; hence, to shoot at an angle of elevation, not at point-blank (rovers usually being beyond the point-blank range).
Fair Venus' son, that with thy cruel dart
At that good knight so cunningly didst rove. --Spenser.
Syn: -- To wander; roam; range; ramble stroll.
Rov·ing, n.
1. The operatin of forming the rove, or slightly twisted sliver or roll of wool or cotton, by means of a machine for the purpose, called a roving frame, or roving machine.
2. A roll or sliver of wool or cotton drawn out and slightly twisted; a rove. See 2d Rove, 2.
Roving frame, Roving machine, a machine for drawing and twisting roves and twisting roves and winding them on bobbin for the spinning machine.
Rov·ing, n. The act of one who roves or wanders.
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roving
adj : (of groups of people) tending to travel and change
settlements frequently; "a restless mobile society";
"the nomadic habits of the Bedouins"; "believed the
profession of a peregrine typist would have a happy
future"; "wandering tribes" [syn: mobile, nomadic,
peregrine, wandering]
n : travelling about without any clear destination; "she
followed him in his wanderings and looked after him"
[syn: wandering, vagabondage]