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traverse
13 dictionary results for: Traverse
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
trav·erse       [trav-ers, truh-vurs] Pronunciation Key verb, -ersed, -ers·ing, noun, adjective
–verb (used with object)
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.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.
a.(in the law of pleading) to deny formally (an allegation of fact set forth in a previous pleading).
b.to join issue upon.
11.to turn and point (a gun) in any direction.
–verb (used without object)
12.to pass along or go across something; cross: a point in the river where we could traverse.
13.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.
–noun
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.Architecture. 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.Nautical.
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.
24.Fortification.
a.a defensive barrier, parapet, or the like, placed transversely.
b.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.Machinery.
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.
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. Compare closed traverse.
28.Law. a formal denial of some matter of fact alleged by the other side.
–adjective
29.lying, extending, or passing across; transverse.

[Origin: 1250–1300; (v.) ME traversen < MF traverser to cross < LL trānsversāre, deriv. of L trānsversus (see trans-, versus); (n.) ME travers(e) < MF traverse (< L trānsversa something lying across, fem. of trānsversus) and travers (< L trānsversum passage across, neut. of trānsversus)]

tra·vers·a·ble, adjective
tra·vers·al, noun
tra·vers·er, noun

1. cross. 9. gainsay, dispute, challenge.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
tra·verse       (trə-vûrs', trāv'ərs)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   tra·versed, tra·vers·ing, tra·vers·es

v.   tr.
  1. To travel or pass across, over, or through.
  2. To move to and fro over; cross and recross.
  3. To go up, down, or across (a slope) diagonally, as in skiing.
  4. To cause to move laterally on a pivot; swivel: traverse an artillery piece.
  5. To extend across; cross: a bridge that traverses a river.
  6. To look over carefully; examine.
  7. To go counter to; thwart.
  8. Law
    1. To deny formally (an allegation of fact by the opposing party) in a suit. See Synonyms at deny.
    2. To join issue upon (an indictment).
  9. To survey by traverse.
  10. 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.
    1. To go up, down, or across a slope diagonally or in a zigzag manner, as in skiing.
    2. To slide one's blade with pressure toward the hilt of the opponent's foil in fencing.

n.   trav·erse (trāv'ərs, trə-vûrs')
  1. A passing across, over, or through.
  2. A route or path across or over.
  3. Something that lies across, especially:
    1. An intersecting line; a transversal.
    2. Architecture A structural crosspiece; a transom.
    3. A gallery, deck, or loft crossing from one side of a building to the other.
    4. A railing, curtain, screen, or similar barrier.
    5. A defensive barrier across a rampart or trench, as a bank of earth thrown up to protect against enfilade fire.
    6. A lateral movement, as of a lathe tool across a piece of wood.
    7. A part of a mechanism that moves in this manner.
    8. The lateral swivel of a mounted gun.
  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.
    1. A lateral movement, as of a lathe tool across a piece of wood.
    2. A part of a mechanism that moves in this manner.
    3. The lateral swivel of a mounted gun.
  7. A line established by sighting in surveying a tract of land.
  8. Law A formal denial of the opposing party's allegation of fact in a suit.

adj.   trav·erse (trāv'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.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
traverse  (v.)
c.1325, "pass across, over, or through," from O.Fr. traverser "to cross, thwart" (11c.), from V.L. *traversare, from L. transversare "to cross, throw across," from L. transversus "turn across" (see transverse). The noun meaning "act of passing through a gate, crossing a bridge, etc." is recorded from 1347; meaning "a passage by which one may traverse" is recorded from 1678. Military foritifcation sense of "barrier, barricade" is recorded from 1599.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
traverse

noun
1. a horizontal beam that extends across something [syn: trave
2. a horizontal crosspiece across a window or separating a door from a window over it [syn: transom
3. taking a zigzag path on skis [syn: traversal
4. travel across [syn: traversal

verb
1. travel across or pass over; "The caravan covered almost 100 miles each day" 
2. to cover or extend over an area or time period; "Rivers traverse the valley floor", "The parking lot spans 3 acres"; "The novel spans three centuries" [syn: cross
3. deny formally (an allegation of fact by the opposing party) in a legal suit 

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: tra·verse
Pronunciation: 'tra-"v&rs, tr&-'v&rs
Function: noun
: a denial of a matter of fact alleged in the opposing party's pleadings; also : a pleading in which such a denial is made

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: tra·verse
Pronunciation: tr&-'v&rs, 'tra-"v&rs
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Anglo-French traverser, literally, to lay across, bar, impede, from Old French, from Late Latin transversare to cross, from Latin transversus lying across
: to deny (as an allegation of fact or an indictment) in a legal proceeding

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Traverse City, MI (city, FIPS 80340) Location: 44.75443 N, 85.60290 W
Population (1990): 15155 (6557 housing units)
Area: 21.2 sq km (land), 0.8 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 49684

Traverse County, MN (county, FIPS 155) Location: 45.77154 N, 96.46994 W
Population (1990): 4463 (2220 housing units)
Area: 1487.0 sq km (land), 30.7 sq km (water)

Grand Traverse County, MI (county, FIPS 55) Location: 44.73331 N, 85.55246 W
Population (1990): 64273 (28740 housing units)
Area: 1204.6 sq km (land), 352.4 sq km (water)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Traverse

Trav"erse\, a. [OF. travers, L. transversus, p. p. of transvertere to turn or direct across. See Transverse, and cf. Travers.] Lying across; being in a direction across something else; as, paths cut with traverse trenches.

Oak . . . being strong in all positions, may be better trusted in cross and traverse work. --Sir H. Wotton.

The ridges of the fallow field traverse. --Hayward.

Traverse drill (Mach.), a machine tool for drilling slots, in which the work or tool has a lateral motion back and forth; also, a drilling machine in which the spindle holder can be adjusted laterally.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Traverse

Trav"erse\, adv. Athwart; across; crosswise.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Traverse

Trav"erse\, n. [F. traverse. See Traverse, a.]

1. Anything that traverses, or crosses. Specifically: (a) Something that thwarts, crosses, or obstructs; a cross accident; as, he would have succeeded, had it not been for unlucky traverses not under his control. (b) A barrier, sliding door, movable screen, curtain, or the like.

Men drinken and the travers draw anon. --Chaucer.

And the entrance of the king, The first traverse was drawn. --F. Beaumont. (c) (Arch.) A gallery or loft of communication from side to side of a church or other large building. --Gwilt. (d) (Fort.) A work thrown up to intercept an enfilade, or reverse fire, along exposed passage, or line of work. (e) (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; that is, without this which follows. (f) (Naut.) The zigzag course or courses made by a ship in passing from one place to another; a compound course. (g) (Geom.) A line lying across a figure or other lines; a transversal. (h) (Surv.) A line surveyed across a plot of ground. (i) (Gun.) The turning of a gun so as to make it point in any desired direction.

2. A turning; a trick; a subterfuge. [Obs.]

To work, or solve, a traverse (Naut.), to reduce a series of courses or distances to an equivalent single one; to calculate the resultant of a traverse.

Traverse board (Naut.), a small board hung in the steerage, having the points of the compass marked on it, and for each point as many holes as there are half hours in a watch. It is used for recording the courses made by the ship in each half hour, by putting a peg in the corresponding hole.

Traverse jury (Law), a jury that tries cases; a petit jury.

Traverse sailing (Naut.), a sailing by compound courses; the method or process of finding the resulting course and distance from a series of different shorter courses and distances actually passed over by a ship.

Traverse table. (a) (Naut. & Surv.) A table by means of which the difference of latitude and departure corresponding to any given course and distance may be found by inspection. It contains the lengths of the two sides of a right-angled triangle, usually for every quarter of a degree of angle, and for lengths of the hypothenuse, from 1 to 100. (b) (Railroad) A platform with one or more tracks, and arranged to move laterally on wheels, for shifting cars, etc., from one line of track to another.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Traverse

Trav"erse\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Traversed; p. pr. & vb. n. Traversing.] [Cf. F. traverser. See Traverse, a.]

1. To lay in a cross direction; to cross.

The parts should be often traversed, or crossed, by the flowing of the folds. --Dryden.

2. To cross by way of opposition; to thwart with obstacles; to obstruct; to bring to naught.

I can not but . . . admit the force of this reasoning, which I yet hope to traverse. --Sir W. Scott.

3. To wander over; to cross in traveling; as, to traverse the habitable globe.

What seas you traversed, and what fields you fought. --Pope.

4. To pass over and view; to survey carefully.

My purpose is to traverse the nature, principles, and properties of this detestable vice -- ingratitude. --South.

5. (Gun.) To turn to the one side or the other, in order to point in any direction; as, to traverse a cannon.

6. (Carp.) To plane in a direction across the grain of the wood; as, to traverse a board.

7. (Law) To deny formally, as what the opposite party has alleged. When the plaintiff or defendant advances new matter, he avers it to be true, and traverses what the other party has affirmed. To traverse an indictment or an office is to deny it.

And save the expense of long litigious laws, Where suits are traversed, and so little won That he who conquers is but last undone. --Dryden.

To traverse a yard (Naut.), to brace it fore and aft.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Traverse

Trav"erse\, v. i. 1. To use the posture or motions of opposition or counteraction, as in fencing.

To see thee fight, to see thee foin, to see thee traverse. --Shak.

2. To turn, as on a pivot; to move round; to swivel; as, the needle of a compass traverses; if it does not traverse well, it is an unsafe guide.

3. To tread or move crosswise, as a horse that throws his croup to one side and his head to the other.

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