| 释义 |
roving
I. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, from gerund of roven to shoot at random, wander — more at rove
1. : an act or instance of shooting at random archery targets and especially at natural targets in fields or woodlands
2. : an act or instance of roaming
< every year this animal's rovings are restricted — Washington Irving >
< found dial roving common in the early parts of a program — George Fisk >
II. adjective
Etymology: from present participle of rove (III)
1. obsolete : based on guesswork : conjectural
2.
a. : traversing a random course : nomadic, wandering
< a roving band of gypsies >
< a roving vixen wanting cubs — John Masefield >
b. : traversing an assigned route or capable of being shifted from place to place : mobile
< roving judge >
< roving reporter >
< serving as a roving police force for … the Territory of Arizona — Ross Santee >
c. : of a general nature : unrestricted as to location or area of concern
< roving envoy >
< roving assignment >
d. : discursive, rambling
< a roving wit >
< unrelated subjects that happen to strike a roving fancy — Dorothy Sayers >
3. : inclined to travel or stray : peripatetic, roaming
< a large and roving cast subsidiary to the main characters — Sylvia Berkman >
< alas for poor Madame, he had a roving eye — Henry S. Jones >
III. noun
(-s)
Etymology: from gerund of rove (VII)
1.
a. : a slightly twisted roll or strand of textile fibers
b. : material in an intermediate stage between sliver and yarn
2. : the final process of reducing and drawing out sliver preliminary to spinning — compare slubbing |