traverse

1 of 3

verb

tra·​verse trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 also  tra-ˈvərs,
or
ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
traversed; traversing

transitive verb

1
a
: to go or travel across or over
b
: to move or pass along or through
light rays traversing a crystal
2
: to make a study of : examine
3
: to lie or extend across : cross
the bridge traverses a brook
4
a
: to move to and fro over or along
b
: to ascend, descend, or cross (a slope or gap) at an angle
c
: to move (a gun) to right or left on a pivot
5
a
: to go against or act in opposition to : oppose, thwart
b
: to deny (something, such as an allegation of fact or an indictment) formally at law
6
: to make or carry out a survey of by using traverses

intransitive verb

1
: to move back and forth or from side to side
2
: to move or turn laterally : swivel
3
a
: to climb at an angle or in a zigzag course
b
: to ski across rather than straight down a hill
4
: to make a survey by using traverses
traversable
trə-ˈvər-sə-bəl How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 also  tra-ˈvər-
 or  ˈtra-(ˌ)vər-
adjective
traverser noun

traverse

2 of 3

noun

tra·​verse ˈtra-vərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 also  -ˌvərs,
especially for senses 6 and 8 also
trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
 or  tra-ˈvərs
1
: something that crosses or lies across
2
3
: a formal denial of a matter of fact alleged by the opposing party in a legal pleading
4
a
: a compartment or recess formed by a partition, curtain, or screen
b
: a gallery or loft providing access from one side to another in a large building
5
: a route or way across or over: such as
a
: a zigzag course of a sailing ship with contrary winds
b
: a curving or zigzag way up a steep grade
c
: the course followed in traversing
6
: the act or an instance of traversing : crossing
7
: a protective projecting wall or bank of earth in a trench
8
a
: a lateral movement (as of the saddle of a lathe carriage)
also : a device for imparting such movement
b
: the lateral movement of a gun about a pivot or on a carriage to change direction of fire
9
: a line surveyed across a plot of ground

traverse

3 of 3

adjective

tra·​verse ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs How to pronounce traverse (audio) trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
tra-ˈvərs
: lying across : transverse

Examples of traverse in a Sentence

Verb The candidates traversed the state throughout the campaign. The river traverses the county.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Greif and Williams’s staging traverses locales and generations with handsome efficiency, aided in part by Paloma Young’s costumes, whose period finishes are subtle to a fault. Naveen Kumar, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 One day, the researchers note, these same type of advancements could possibly even aid in space exploration robots traversing harsh, rocky surfaces of the moon and other planets. Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024 Over his career, the Virginia native has traversed numerous styles, leading to appearances on Billboard’s Americana/folk, bluegrass, country and rock charts, among others. Xander Zellner, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 With the help of his friends and later Gail’s assistant (a too-brief appearance by Stephanie Hsu), Colt traverses Sydney looking for clues and putting his years of stunt training to use. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 On this nearly 5-and-a-half mile journey through the canyon preserve near Jamul, hikers will travel along a wide dirt trail, traverse over several river crossings and walk past the remains of an old cattle ranch. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 The 2024 total solar eclipse will start over the South Pacific Ocean and traverse North America, spanning Mexico, the United States and Canada. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Much of the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges may be outside of Chile’s jurisdiction, but such legal restrictions do not stop animals from traversing them. Priya Shukla, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Haley has been traversing the state on a bus tour, holding two and sometimes three campaign events a day, ahead of the Feb. 24 primary that is effectively the anti-Trump Republican’s last chance to save her ailing candidacy. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
The end result: a robot that can quickly identify and react to a range of obstacles and traverse them. Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024 Their house was only nine miles from the Mexican border, but the winding traverse over the Atascosa Mountains sometimes took more than two hours by car. Eli Saslow Erin Schaff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 The rover will take daring trips into the eternally dark craters, relying on battery power for up to 50 hours during each traverse that moves VIPER beyond the rays of the Sun, always near the horizon at the lunar poles. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 18 July 2023 At first, hardy Highlanders developed the tartan kilt in the 16th century, attire perfectly suited to the landscape, where Scots had to climb hills, traverse bogs, and fight the English with agility in all weather. Ross Kenneth Urken, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Nov. 2023 Two of the new huts will fill in gaps along the existing Resurrection Pass hut system, making a 75-mile traverse from Hope to Seward possible—as long as users can get the appropriate reservations. Corey Buhay, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 Sir Ernest Shackleton made a truly miraculous traverse of the island in 1916 after the near-tragedy of the Endurance Antarctic Expedition. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023 Another option is Gotham Bicycle Tours, along The Empire State Trail, a 750-mile traverse designed for bicyclists and hikers to explore New York State. Lea Lane, Forbes, 12 June 2022 A lot has — understandably — happened since Pluto's last traverse through the sign of the water bearer. Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, 23 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Doppelgänger appeared to have used widely available artificial intelligence tools to create news outlets dedicated to American politics, with names like Election Watch and My Pride. Disinformation campaigns like this easily traverse borders. Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024 Situated near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the area surrounding this city of almost 170,000 remains rural, with miles of unpaved roads that traverse ranch land and prairie. Cindy Hirschfeld, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023 The roughly 90-minute afternoon shows traverse uneven terrain, so prepare accordingly. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023 Inspired by a desire to descend to vents on Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus and enter the subsurface ocean, this versatile robot is being developed to autonomously map, traverse, and explore previously inaccessible destinations on Earth, the moon, and other worlds in our solar system. IEEE Spectrum, 12 May 2023 The Jeep Wrangler can ford rivers, crawl over boulders, traverse deserts and blaze through uncharted territory. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 7 May 2023 In 2007, Homeland Security Investigations, an agency that deals with cases of smuggling that traverse international borders, received information about looted artifacts brought to the New York City area from India. Ben Fox, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2021 So the new course is probably going to start in Milwaukee and traverse to southern counties. Lori Nickel, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023 Parts of the 6-mile trail for off-road biking or hiking are heavily forested and traverse steep ancient dunes; $6 per vehicle. Clara Bosonetto, ajc, 17 Dec. 2013

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'traverse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French traverser, from Late Latin transversare, from Latin transversus

Noun

Middle English travers, from Anglo-French travers (as in a travers, de travers across), from Latin transversum (as in in transversum set crosswise), neuter of transversus lying across; senses 5–9 in part from traverse entry 1 — more at transverse entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traverse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near traverse

Cite this Entry

“Traverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traverse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

traverse

1 of 3 noun
trav·​erse
ˈtra-vərs
1
: something that crosses or lies across
2
: a curved or zigzag path along the face of a steep slope
3
: the act or an instance of traversing
stopped to rest in their traverse of the mountain

traverse

2 of 3 verb
tra·​verse trə-ˈvərs How to pronounce traverse (audio)
traversed; traversing
1
: to go against : oppose
2
a
: to pass through, across, or over
traversed the historic fields
b
: to lie or extend across
a bridge traverses the river
3
: to make a study of : examine
4
: to move back and forth or from side to side
pedestrians traversing the busy intersection
5
: to climb or ski at an angle or in a zigzag course

traverse

3 of 3 adjective
trav·​erse
ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs,
trə-ˈvərs
: lying across : transverse

Legal Definition

traverse

1 of 2 noun
: a denial of a matter of fact alleged in the opposing party's pleadings
also : a pleading in which such a denial is made

traverse

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to deny (as an allegation of fact or an indictment) in a legal proceeding
Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French traverser, literally, to lay across, bar, impede, from Old French, from Late Latin transversare to cross, from Latin transversus lying across

More from Merriam-Webster on traverse

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