noun
rover
ROH-ver/ˈrəʊvər/
A traveler moving from place to place.
The rover travels across the rocky surface, leaving tracks behind.
Etymology
Rove with the agent ending -er gives ‘one who wanders.’ The vehicle sense extends that description to a machine travelling across a planet’s or moon’s surface to explore it.
In context
the perseverance rover which landed on mars uh just earlier this year in february
More examples
- After college, she lived as a rover, never staying anywhere long.
- The little town attracts rovers looking for a place to rest.
- Even in retirement, my uncle remains a rover.
Forms
rover · rovers
rove verb — To travel around without a fixed destination.
Similar words
- wanderer
- Wanderer emphasizes moving about without a clear direction or purpose.
- traveler
- Traveler includes anyone on a journey, even with fixed plans.