traverse

Meanings

1. A route used in mountaineering, specifically rock climbing, in which the descent occurs by a different route than the ascent.
2. 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.
3. A screen or partition.
4. Something that thwarts or obstructs.
5. A gallery or loft of communication from side to side of a church or other large building.
6. 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).
7. The zigzag course or courses made by a ship in passing from one place to another; a compound course.
8. A line lying across a figure or other lines; a transversal.
9. In trench warfare, a defensive trench built to prevent enfilade.
10. A traverse board.

1. To travel across, to go through, to pass through, particularly under difficult conditions.
2. To visit all parts of; to explore thoroughly.
3. To lay in a cross direction; to cross.
4. To rotate a gun around a vertical axis to bear upon a military target.
5. To climb or descend a steep hill at a wide angle (relative to the slope).
6. To (make a cutting, an incline) across the gradients of a sloped face at safe rate.
7. To act against; to thwart or obstruct.
8. To pass over and view; to survey carefully.
9. To plane in a direction across the grain of the wood.
10. To deny formally.
11. To use the motions of opposition or counteraction.

1. athwart; across; crosswise

1. Lying across; being in a direction across something else.

1. A surname from French.

Etymology

From Middle English traversen, from Old French traverser, from Latin trans (“across”) + versus (“turned”), perfect passive participle of Latin vertere (“to turn”).