traverse

UK: /trəˈvɜː^rs/

US: /v. trəˈvɝs, ˈtrævɚs; n., adj. ˈtrævɚs, trəˈvɝs/

US: (trav′ərs, trə vûrs′)

Inflections of 'traverse' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

traverses

v 3rd person singular

traversing

v pres p

traversed

v past

traversed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

tra•verse /v. trəˈvɜrs, ˈtrævɚs; n., adj. ˈtrævɚs, trəˈvɜrs/   v., -versed, -vers•ing, n., adj. 
v. [~ + object]

1. to move over, along, through, or across (a hill, etc.), as at an angle:
   The skiers traversed the side of the mountain.
2. to extend over:
   A bridge traverses the stream.

n. [countable] trav•erse. 

3. the act of traversing.
4. something that traverses.

adj. trav•erse. 

5. lying, extending, or passing across;
   transverse.

See -vert-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

trav•erse  (trav′ərs, trə vûrs′), v., -ersed, -ers•ing, n., adj. 
v.t. 

1. to pass or move over, along, or through.
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 rope, mountain, hill, etc.) at an angle:
   The climbers traversed the east face of the mountain.
5. Sport 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;
   thwart.
9. to contradict or deny.
10. [Law.]
    • (in the law of pleading) to deny formally (an allegation of fact set forth in a previous pleading).
    • to join issue upon.
11. to turn and point (a gun) in any direction.

v.i. 

12. to pass along or go across something;
    cross:
    a point in the river where we could traverse.
13. Sport to ski across a hill or slope on a diagonal.
14. to turn laterally, as a gun.
15. [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, obstructs, or thwarts;
    obstacle.
18. a transversal or similar line.
19. a place where one may traverse or cross;
    crossing.
20. [Archit.] a transverse gallery or loft of communication in a church or other large building.
21. a bar, strip, rod, or other structural part placed or extending across;
    crosspiece;
    crossbar.
22. a railing, lattice, or screen serving as a barrier.
23. [Naut.]
    • the zigzag track of a vessel compelled by contrary winds or currents to sail on different courses.
    • each of the runs in a single direction made in such sailing.
24. [Fort.]
    • a defensive barrier, parapet, or the like, placed transversely.
    • a defensive barrier thrown across the terreplein or the covered way of a fortification to protect it from enfilade fire.
25. [Gunnery.] the horizontal turning of a gun so as to make it point in any required direction.
26. [Mach.]
    • the motion of a lathe tool or grinding wheel along a piece of work.
    • a part moving along a piece of work in this way, as the carriage of a lathe.
27. Surveying 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. Cf. closed traverse.
28. [Law.] a formal denial of some matter of fact alleged by the other side.

adj. 

29. lying, extending, or passing across;
    transverse.

• Latin trānsversum passage across, neuter of trānsversus)
• Latin trānsversa something lying across, feminine of trānsversus) and travers (
• Middle French traverse (
• Late Latin trānsversāre, derivative of Latin trānsversus (see trans-, versus); (noun, nominal) Middle English travers(e)
• Middle French traverser to cross
• (verb, verbal) Middle English traversen 1250–1300

tra•vers ′a•ble, adj. 
tra•vers ′al, n. 
tra•vers ′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. cross.
• 9. gainsay, dispute, challenge.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

traverse / ˈtrævɜːs trəˈvɜːs/ verb

1. to pass or go over or back and forth over (something); cross
2. (transitive) to go against; oppose; obstruct
3. to move or cause to move sideways or crosswise
4. (transitive) to extend or reach across
5. to turn (an artillery gun) laterally on its pivot or mount or (of an artillery gun) to turn laterally
6. (transitive) to look over or examine carefully
7. (transitive) to deny (an allegation of fact), as in pleading
8. to move across (a face) horizontally

noun

1. something being or lying across, such as a transom
2. a gallery or loft inside a building that crosses it
3. another name for transversal1
4. an obstruction or hindrance
5. a protective bank or other barrier across a trench or rampart
6. a railing, screen, or curtain
7. the act or an instance of traversing or crossing
8. a path or road across
9. the zigzag course of a vessel tacking frequently
10. the formal denial of a fact alleged in the opposite party's pleading
11. a survey consisting of a series of straight lines, the length of each and the angle between them being measured
12. a horizontal move across a face

adjective

1. being or lying across; transverse

adverb

1. an archaic word for across

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French traverser, from Late Latin trānsversāre, from Latin trānsversus transverse

traˈversal noun

ˈtraverser noun