rov·er¹ / ˈrōvər/ • n. 1. a person who spends their time wandering: they became rovers who departed further and further from civilization.2. (in various sports) a player not restricted to a particular position on the field.3. a vehicle for driving over rough terrain. ∎  a vehicle driven by remote control over extraterrestrial terrain.4. Croquet a ball that has passed all the wickets but not pegged out. ∎  a player who has such a ball.5. Archery a target for long-distance shooting. ∎  a target chosen at random and not at a determined range.rov·er² • n. archaic a sea robber; a pirate.rov·er³ • n. a person or machine that makes roves of fiber (see rove³ ).

rover sea-robber, pirate. XIV. — MLG., MDu. rōver, f. rōven rob, REAVE.