roving

¹ American  

[roh-ving] / ˈroʊ vɪŋ /

adjective

1. roaming or wandering.

2. not assigned or restricted to any particular location, area, topic, etc..

   a roving editor.

3. not assigned to any particular diplomatic post but having a special mission.

   a roving ambassador.

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roving ² American  

[roh-ving] / ˈroʊ vɪŋ /

noun

1. a soft strand of fiber that has been twisted, attenuated, and freed of foreign matter preparatory to its conversion into yarn.

2. the final phase of carding, in which this is done.

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Other Word Forms

• rovingly adverb
• rovingness noun

Etymology

Origin of roving¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; rove ¹ + -ing ²

Origin of roving²

First recorded in 1785–95; rove ³ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The children froze, their wide eyes roving the shadows, surely regretting venturing into such a dark wood with their pathetic human vision.

From Literature

Remembered the strange roving eyes, the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach that was more than fever.

From Literature

It was after midnight in the wealthy Washington, D.C., suburb of Chevy Chase, when police closed in on a roving band of souped-up cars.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is based in Europe but roving widely, working with bureau chiefs and reporters to catalyze our best reporting from the field.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a roving correspondent, he did … well, some serious roving.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• itinerant
• peripatetic
• wandering