Rovings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of wandering or traveling about in search of something
2. A description of casual or exploratory movements, often associated with searching for enjoyment or adventure
3. The state of moving through various places, typically without a fixed destination or purpose

Etymology: "Rovings" is the plural of "roving," which in its older English sense came from archery. To "rove" was to shoot at marks chosen at random rather than at a fixed target, so the idea of wandering without a set aim came from that practice. The verb's ultimate source is uncertain, and proposed links to Dutch or Scandinavian words remain unconfirmed. In textile work, a roving is a loose, lightly twisted strand of wool or cotton drawn out before it is spun into yarn. The plural usually refers to several such strands, and the loose, unsettled quality of the fibre is the same idea that moved the word from archery into the sense of casual movement.