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   Trav·erse

   /trəˈvərs/

   

   verb

   • 1. travel across or through: "he traversed the forest" Similar travel over/acrosscrossjourney over/acrossmake one's way acrosspass overgo acrossnegotiatecoverplywanderroamrange
   • ▪ extend across or through: "a moving catwalk that traversed a vast cavernous space" Similar extend acrosslie acrossstretch acrossgo acrosscrosscut acrossbridgespan
   • ▪ cross a hill or mountain by means of a series of sideways movements from one practicable line of ascent or descent to another: "I often use this route, eventually traversing around the cliff"
   • ▪ ski diagonally across (a slope), with only a slight descent: "ski patrol workers traverse the slope"
   • ▪ consider or discuss the whole extent of (a subject): "he would traverse a number of subjects and disciplines"
   • 2. move (something) back and forth or sideways: "a probe is traversed along the tunnel"
   • ▪ turn (a large gun or other device on a pivot) to face a different direction.
   • 3. deny (an allegation) in pleading: "the plaintiff must assert certain facts which, if traversed, he would be put to prove"
   • ▪ oppose or thwart (a plan). archaic

   noun

   • 1. an act of traversing something: "high-level walks in the Dolomites often involve steep, exposed climbs, traverses, and descents"
   • ▪ a hill or mountain where traversing is necessary: "a narrow traverse made lethal by snow and ice"
   • ▪ a movement following a diagonal course made by a skier descending a slope: "I make long gentle traverses down the steepest sections"
   • ▪ a zigzag course followed by a ship because winds or currents prevent it from sailing directly toward its destination.
   • 2. a part of a structure that extends or is fixed across something: "there were three jewels in the traverse of the cross and four in the body"
   • ▪ a gallery extending from side to side of a church or other building.
   • 3. a mechanism enabling a large gun to be turned to face a different direction: "they had been practicing firing at multiple targets, using the power traverse"
   • ▪ the sideways movement of a part in a machine.
   • 4. a single line of survey, usually plotted from compass bearings and chained or paced distances between angular points.
   • ▪ a tract surveyed by traversing.
   • 5. a pair of right-angled bends incorporated in a trench to avoid enfilading fire: "he crept up and threw a grenade over the traverse"
   • 6. variant spelling of travers

   adjective

   • 1. (of a curtain rod) allowing the curtain to be opened and closed by sliding it along the rod.

   Word Origin Middle English (in traverse (sense 3 of the verb)): from Old French traverser, from late Latin traversare; the noun is from Old French travers (masculine), traverse (feminine), partly based on traverser.

   Derivatives

   • 1. traversable adjective
   • 2. traversal noun

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • T

     1

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • V

     4

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

   • S

     1

   • E

     1

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