red rover

noun

1. a children's game in which two teams, some distance apart, face each other and take turns designating an opposing player to run toward their line. Any player who fails to break through their clasped hands becomes a member of that team.

Word History and Origins

Origin of red rover¹

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

It bears a rough resemblance to the schoolyard game known in the United States as “Red Rover,” or a game known in England as “British Bulldog.”

From Seattle Times

This is not a game of Red Rover.

From Seattle Times

On a recent Friday, Kautzman was the patrol’s “red rover,” tasked with skiing the whole mountain, not just a section.

From Washington Post

The grown-up faces in those Zoom windows were the kids I’d once played with: hide-n-seek, kickball, and my favorite, Red Rover.

From Washington Post

The grown-up faces in those Zoom windows were the kids I’d once played with: hide-n-seek, kickball, and my favorite, Red Rover.

From Seattle Times