traverse

tra·verse

Use traverse in a sentence

noun

Traverse is defined as something that lies across or crosses over.
1. An example of a traverse is a zigzag route down a steep hill taken by a skier.
2. An example of a traverse is a log laying across a road.

verb

Traverse means to move back and forth, cross over or examine carefully.
1. An example of traverse is a performer walking across a tightrope.
2. An example of traverse is doing a land survey.

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MLA Style

"traverse." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 June 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse>.

APA Style

traverse. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22nd, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse

traverse

transitive verb

-·versed′, -·vers′ing

1. to pass, move, or extend over, across, or through; cross
2. to go back and forth over or along; cross and recross
to go counter to; oppose; thwart
to survey, inspect, or examine carefully
to turn (a gun, lathe, etc.) laterally; swivel
to make a traverse of in surveying
Law
1. to deny or contradict formally (something alleged by the opposing party in a lawsuit)
2. to join issue upon (an indictment) or upon the validity of (an inquest of office)

Origin of traverse

Middle English traversen from Old French traverser from Vulgar Latin from an unverified form transversare from Classical Latin transversus, past participle of transvertere, to turn across from trans-, trans- + vertere, to turn: see verse

to move across; cross over
to move back and forth over a place, etc.; cross and recross
to swivel or pivot
to move across a mountain slope, as in skiing, in an oblique direction
to make a traverse in surveying
Fencing to move one's blade toward the opponent's hilt while pressing one's foil hard against the opponent's foil

noun

trav′erse

something that traverses or crosses; specif.,
1. a line that intersects others
2. a crossbar, crosspiece, crossbeam, transom, etc.
3. a parapet or wall of earth, etc. across a rampart or trench
4. a gallery, loft, etc. crossing a building
5. a single line of survey across a plot, region, etc.
6. Obs. a screen, curtain, etc. placed crosswise
Now Rare something that opposes or thwarts; obstacle
the act or an instance of traversing; specif.,
1. a passing across or through; crossing
2. a lateral, pivoting, oblique, or zigzagging movement
a part, device, etc. that causes a traversing movement
a passage by which one may cross; way across
1. a zigzagging course or route taken by a vessel, as in sailing against the wind
2. a single leg of such a course
a formal denial in a lawsuit

adjective

trav′erse

passing or extending across; transverse
designating or of drapes (and the rods and hooks for them) usually hung in pairs that can be drawn together or apart by pulling a cord at the side

Origin of traverse

ME travers < OFr < L transversus: see traversethe transitive verb

adverb

trav′erse

Obs. across; crosswise

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MLA Style

"traverse." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 June 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse>.

APA Style

traverse. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22nd, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse

traverse

verb

tra·versed, tra·vers·ing, tra·vers·es

verb

transitive

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.
To cause to move laterally on a pivot; swivel: traverse an artillery piece.
To extend across; cross: a bridge that traverses a river.
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 )
Archaic To go counter to; thwart.
Law
a. To deny formally (an allegation of fact by the opposing party) in a lawsuit.
b. To join issue upon (an indictment).
To survey by traverse.
Nautical To brace (a yard) fore and aft.

verb

intransitive

To move to the side or back and forth.
To turn laterally; swivel.
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.

noun

trav·erse

A passing across, over, or through.
A route or path across or over.
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.
Something that obstructs and thwarts; an obstacle.
Nautical The zigzag route of a vessel forced by contrary winds to sail on different courses.
A zigzag or diagonal course on a steep slope, as in skiing.
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.
A line established by sighting in surveying a tract of land.
Law A formal denial of the opposing party's allegation of fact in a lawsuit.

adjective

trav·erse

Lying or extending across; transverse.

Origin of traverse

Middle English traversen from Old French traverser from Vulgar Latin trāversāre from Late Latin trānsversāre from Latin trānsversus transverse ; see transverse .

Related Forms:

tra·vers′a·ble
adjective

tra·vers′al
noun

tra·vers′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"traverse." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 June 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse>.

APA Style

traverse. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22nd, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse

Noun

(plural traverses)

(climbing) A route used in mountaineering, specifically rock climbing, in which the descent occurs by a different route than the ascent.
(military) In fortification, a mass of earth or other material employed to protect troops against enfilade. It is constructed at right angles to the parapet.
(surveying) A series of points, with angles and distances measured between, traveled around a subject, usually for use as "control" i.e. angular reference system for later surveying work.
F. Beaumont
At the entrance of the king, / The first traverse was drawn.
Something that thwarts or obstructs.
He would have succeeded, had it not been for unlucky traverses not under his control.
A trick; a subterfuge.
(architecture) A gallery or loft of communication from side to side of a church or other large building.
(law) A formal denial of some matter of fact alleged by the opposite party in any stage of the pleadings. The technical words introducing a traverse are absque hoc ("without this", i.e. without what follows).
(nautical) The zigzag course or courses made by a ship in passing from one place to another; a compound course.
(geometry) A line lying across a figure or other lines; a transversal.
(firearms) The turning of a gun so as to make it point in any desired direction.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present traverses, present participle traversing, simple past and past participle traversed)

To travel across, often under difficult conditions.
He will have to traverse the mountain to get to the other side.
(computing) To visit all parts of; to explore thoroughly.
to traverse all nodes in a network
(artillery) To rotate a gun around a vertical axis to bear upon a military target.
to traverse a cannon
(climbing) To climb or descend a steep hill at a wide angle.
To lay in a cross direction; to cross.
To cross by way of opposition; to thwart with obstacles; to obstruct.
To pass over and view; to survey carefully.
(carpentry) To plane in a direction across the grain of the wood.
to traverse a board
(law) To deny formally.

Adverb

(comparative more traverse, superlative most traverse)

athwart; across; crosswise

Adjective

(comparative more traverse, superlative most traverse)

Lying across; being in a direction across something else.
paths cut with traverse trenches

Anagrams

averters

Origin

From Latin trans across + versus turned, perfect passive participle of vertere, turn

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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Link to this page

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MLA Style

"traverse." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 June 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse>.

APA Style

traverse. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22nd, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/traverse

traverse - Legal Definition

A pleading in common law denying an allegation of fact in an adversary’s pleading or contesting that the adversary lacked adequate knowledge to make such an allegation in the first place. See also denial.

general traverse

A flat denial of all of the allegations in the pleadings of one’s adversary.

special traverse

A denial of one alleged fact that is not absolute, but that seeks to explain it away or qualify it by virtue of special circumstances, such as an inducement that can be verified.