Meanings
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1
noun
a person who wanders or travels without settling in one place
The restless rover refused to exchange distant journeys for a settled life.
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2
noun
a remotely operated or partly autonomous vehicle used to explore a planet, moon, seabed, or other difficult environment
The lunar rover transmitted close-up images of the crater floor.
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3
noun
historical: a pirate, raider, or pirate ship
An armed rover pursued the merchant vessel beyond the harbor.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From rove + the agent suffix -er, with older links to Middle Dutch roven ('rob'). The word first named a wanderer or raider and could also mean a pirate vessel. Modern engineering extended the roaming idea to mobile machines that explore planets and other inaccessible places.