running at rovers
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Running wild; being without restraint. Row (rou), A disturbance, noise, or tumult is late 18th-century slang; the origin of the word is unknown.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “running at rovers” mean?
Running wild; being without restraint. Row (rou), A disturbance, noise, or tumult is late 18th-century slang; the origin of the word is unknown.
Is “running at rovers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.