traverse

B2 Topic:Verbs of Movement

US /tɹəˈvɝs/ UK /tɹəˈvɜːs/ See IPA manual

Freq #30487

Meanings

1

verb
To travel or move across an area, especially a large or difficult one.

The explorers had to traverse the frozen desert on foot.
2

verb
To go through or visit every part of something.

The program traverses all the nodes in the network.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to travel or move across an... cross span sweep

Word family

Forms traversedtraversestraversing

Related forms traversaltraversivetravis

Etymology

From Middle English traversen, from Old French traverser, from Latin trans (“across”) + versus (“turned”), perfect passive participle of Latin vertere (“to turn”).

traversen Middle English traverser Old French trans Latin vertere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Verbs of Movement

External links

# traverse

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /tɹəˈvɝs/
**IPA (UK):** /tɹəˈvɜːs/
**Frequency rank:** 30487

## Meanings
1. To travel or move across an area, especially a large or difficult one.
2. To go through or visit every part of something.

## Examples
- The explorers had to traverse the frozen desert on foot.
- The program traverses all the nodes in the network.

## Related Forms
- traversal
- traversive
- travis

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: traversen
- Root: traverser
- Root: trans
- Root: vertere

## Etymology
From Middle English traversen, from Old French traverser, from Latin trans (“across”) + versus (“turned”), perfect passive participle of Latin vertere (“to turn”).

## AI Etymology
Traverse is from Middle English traversen, from Old French traverser, from Latin trans (“across”) + versus (“turned”), perfect passive participle of Latin vertere (“to turn”). The historical line also includes Middle English traversen, Old French traverser, Latin trans, Latin vertere. In present-day use, it can mean to travel or move across an area, especially a large or difficult one, or to go through or visit every part of something.

## Topics
- Verbs of Movement

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