rover
UK: ˈrəʊvə | US: ˈroʊvər
n. a person who spends their time wandering or traveling
n. a vehicle designed to explore the surface of a planet or moon
n. (historical) a pirate or raider
rover = rove<to wander> + er<agent suffix>
- rove (from Middle Dutch roven, meaning "to rob" or "to wander") evolved into English with the sense of "wandering aimlessly."
- er (agent suffix) indicates a person or thing that performs the action.
Etymology Origin:
The word rover originated from the Dutch roven ("to rob"), reflecting its early association with pirates or raiders who wandered to plunder. Over time, the meaning softened to describe anyone who travels without a fixed destination. In modern usage, it also refers to exploratory vehicles (e.g., Mars rovers), extending the idea of "wandering" to mechanical explorers.
The old rover spent years traveling across Europe with no permanent home.
NASA's Perseverance rover is searching for signs of ancient life on Mars.
In medieval times, coastal towns feared attacks by Norse rovers.
She lived like a rover, never staying in one city for long.
The lunar rover collected valuable data during its mission.