roving

Multiple Entries:
  roving    rove  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
roving/ˈrəʊvɪŋ/

▶noun another term for rove3.

■ roves collectively.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
rove1

▶verb

• 1 travel constantly without a fixed destination; wander.

  ■ (usu. as adj. roving) travel for one's work, having no fixed base: a roving reporter.

• 2 (of eyes) look around in all directions.

▶noun chiefly N. Amer. an act of roving.

– origin C15 (orig. a term in archery): perh. from dial. rave ‘to stray’, prob. of Scand. origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
rove2

past of reeve2.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
rove3

▶noun a piece of fibre drawn out and twisted, especially preparatory to spinning. ▶verb form into roves.

– origin C18: of unknown origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
rove4

▶noun a small metal plate or ring for a rivet to pass through, especially in boatbuilding.

– origin ME: from ON ró, with the addition of -v-.