rover

1 of 2

noun (1)

ro·​ver ˈrō-vər How to pronounce rover (audio)
Synonyms of rovernext
: 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
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
The company's Griffin-1 mission is scheduled to deliver science and technology – including at least two rovers – to the lunar south pole following a 2026 launch. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026 Will feature an orbital transfer vehicle and rover headed to the Gruithuisen Domes on the moon. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026 The team noted that China already relies on wheeled locomotion for planetary exploration, pointing to the success of its Yutu lunar rovers and the Zhurong rover on Mars. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026 In the last five years, China returned the first samples from the far side of the Moon, completed its own low-earth orbit space station and landed a rover on the surface of Mars. Magdalena Petrova, CNBC, 7 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rover. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on rover

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster