traverse
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tra·verse
(trə-vûrs′, trăv′ərs)v. tra·versed, tra·vers·ing, tra·vers·es
v.tr.
1.
a. To travel or pass across, over, or through: a ship traversing a channel; light traversing a window.
b. To move to and fro over; cross and recross: traversed the room in thought for an hour.
c. To go up, down, or across (a slope) diagonally, as in skiing.
2. To cause to move laterally on a pivot; swivel: traverse an artillery piece.
3. To extend across; cross: a bridge that traverses a river.
4. To look over carefully; examine: "Someday I plan to read the classics. Someday I plan to traverse their pages and see for myself what raw weight they wield" (Beck Hansen).
5. Archaic To go counter to; thwart.
6. Law
a. To deny formally (an allegation of fact by the opposing party) in a lawsuit.
b. To join issue upon (an indictment).
7. To survey by traverse.
8. Nautical To brace (a yard) fore and aft.
v.intr.
1. To move to the side or back and forth.
2. To turn laterally; swivel.
3.
a. To go up, down, or across a slope diagonally or in a zigzag manner, as in skiing.
b. To slide one's blade with pressure toward the hilt of the opponent's foil in fencing.
n. trav·erse (trăv′ərs, trə-vûrs′)
1. A passing across, over, or through.
2. A route or path across or over.
3. Something that lies across, especially:
a. An intersecting line; a transversal.
b. Architecture A structural crosspiece; a transom.
c. A gallery, deck, or loft crossing from one side of a building to the other.
d. A railing, curtain, screen, or similar barrier.
e. A defensive barrier across a rampart or trench, as a bank of earth thrown up to protect against enfilade fire.
4. Something that obstructs and thwarts; an obstacle.
5. Nautical The zigzag route of a vessel forced by contrary winds to sail on different courses.
6. A zigzag or diagonal course on a steep slope, as in skiing.
7.
a. A lateral movement, as of a lathe tool across a piece of wood.
b. A part of a mechanism that moves in this manner.
c. The lateral swivel of a mounted gun.
8. A line established by sighting in surveying a tract of land.
9. Law A formal denial of the opposing party's allegation of fact in a lawsuit.
adj. trav·erse (trăv′ərs, trə-vûrs′)
Lying or extending across; transverse.
[Middle English traversen, from Old French traverser, from Vulgar Latin *trāversāre, from Late Latin trānsversāre, from Latin trānsversus, transverse; see transverse.]
tra·vers′a·ble adj.
tra·vers′al n.
tra·vers′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
traverse
(ˈtrævɜːs; trəˈvɜːs)vb
1. to pass or go over or back and forth over (something); cross
2. (tr) to go against; oppose; obstruct
3. to move or cause to move sideways or crosswise
4. (tr) to extend or reach across
5. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) to turn (an artillery gun) laterally on its pivot or mount or (of an artillery gun) to turn laterally
6. (tr) to look over or examine carefully
7. (Law) (tr) law to deny (an allegation of fact), as in pleading
8. (Fencing) (intr) fencing to slide one's blade towards an opponent's hilt while applying pressure against his blade
9. (Mountaineering) mountaineering to move across (a face) horizontally
10. (Nautical Terms) (tr) nautical to brace (a yard) fore and aft
n
11. something being or lying across, such as a transom
12. (Architecture) a gallery or loft inside a building that crosses it
13. (Mathematics) maths another name for transversal1
14. an obstruction or hindrance
15. (Fortifications) fortifications a protective bank or other barrier across a trench or rampart
16. (Furniture) a railing, screen, or curtain
17. the act or an instance of traversing or crossing
18. a path or road across
19. (Nautical Terms) nautical the zigzag course of a vessel tacking frequently
20. (Law) law the formal denial of a fact alleged in the opposite party's pleading
21. (Surveying) surveying a survey consisting of a series of straight lines, the length of each and the angle between them being measured
22. (Mountaineering) mountaineering a horizontal move across a face
adj
being or lying across; transverse
adv
an archaic word for across
[C14: from Old French traverser, from Late Latin trānsversāre, from Latin trānsversus transverse]
ˈtraversable adj
traˈversal n
ˈtraverser n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
tra•verse
(v. trəˈvɜrs, ˈtræv ərs; n., adj. ˈtræv ərs, trəˈvɜrs)v. -versed, -vers•ing,
n., adj. v.t.
1. to pass or move over, along, or through; cross.
2. to go to and fro over or along.
3. to extend across or over: A bridge traverses the stream.
4. to go up, down, or across (a hill, rope, etc.) at an angle.
5. to ski across (a hill or slope).
6. to cause to move laterally.
7. to look over, examine, or consider carefully; review; survey.
8. to go counter to; obstruct.
9. to contradict or deny.
10. Law.
a. (in pleading) to deny formally (an allegation).
b. to enter into controversy on (a matter).
11. to turn and point (a gun) in any direction.
v.i. 12. to pass along or go across something; cross.
13. to ski or climb across a slope on a diagonal.
14. to turn laterally, as a gun.
15. (in fencing) to glide the blade toward the hilt of the contestant's foil while applying pressure to the blade.
n. 16. the act of passing across, over, or through.
17. something that crosses or extends across.
18. a transversal or similar line.
19. a place where one may traverse or cross; crossing.
20. a lateral or oblique course or movement.
21. something that obstructs or thwarts; obstacle.
22. a transverse gallery or loft in a church or other large building.
23. a bar, strip, rod, or other structural part placed or extending across; crosspiece; crossbar.
24. a railing, lattice, or screen serving as a barrier.
25.
a. the zigzag track of a vessel compelled by contrary winds or currents to sail on different courses.
b. each of the runs in a single direction made in such sailing.
26. a defensive barrier, parapet, or the like, placed transversely.
27. the horizontal turning of a mounted gun to change direction of fire.
28.
a. the motion of a lathe tool or grinding wheel along a piece of work.
b. a part moving along a piece of work in this way, as the carriage of a lathe.
29. a series of intersecting surveyed lines whose lengths and angles of intersection, measured at instrument stations, are recorded graphically on a map and in numerical form in data tables.
30. Law. a formal denial of some matter of fact alleged by the other side.
adj. 31. lying, extending, or passing across; transverse.
trav•erse trav•erse [1250–1300; Middle English (n.) < Middle French « Latin trānsversus lying across, transverse; see trans-, versus]
tra•vers′a•ble, adj.
tra•vers′al, n.
tra•vers′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
traverse
1. To turn a weapon to the right or left on its mount.
2. A method of surveying in which lengths and directions of lines between points on the earth are obtained by or from field measurements, and used in determining positions of the points.
2. A method of surveying in which lengths and directions of lines between points on the earth are obtained by or from field measurements, and used in determining positions of the points.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
traverse
Past participle: traversed
Gerund: traversing
Imperative |
---|
traverse |
traverse |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
traverse
Curtains which are drawn across the stage.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | ![]() beam - long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction |
2. | ![]() crosspiece - a transverse brace | |
3. | ![]() crossing - traveling across skiing - a sport in which participants must travel on skis | |
4. | ![]() travel, traveling, travelling - the act of going from one place to another; "he enjoyed selling but he hated the travel" | |
Verb | 1. | ![]() tramp - cross on foot; "We had to tramp the creeks" stride - cover or traverse by taking long steps; "She strode several miles towards the woods" walk - traverse or cover by walking; "Walk the tightrope"; "Paul walked the streets of Damascus"; "She walks 3 miles every day" crisscross - cross in a pattern, often random ford - cross a river where it's shallow bridge - cross over on a bridge jaywalk - cross the road at a red light go across, pass, go through - go across or through; "We passed the point where the police car had parked"; "A terrible thought went through his mind" course - move swiftly through or over; "ships coursing the Atlantic" hop - traverse as if by a short airplane trip; "Hop the Pacific Ocean" |
2. | ![]() | |
3. | ![]() practice of law, law - the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system; "he studied law at Yale" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
traverse
verb
1. cross, go across, travel over, make your way across, cover, range, bridge, negotiate, wander, go over, span, roam, ply I traversed the narrow pedestrian bridge.
2. cut across, pass over, stretch across, extend across, lie across a steep-sided valley traversed by streams
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
traverse
verb2. To move in a zigzag manner, as on a ski slope:
4. To look at carefully or critically:
Informal: case.
Idiom: give a going-over.
6. Law. To refuse to admit the truth, reality, value, or worth of:
adjective
Situated or lying across:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.