to shoot at rovers
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To shoot at random with- out any distinct aim. Unbelievers are said by Clobery to "shoot at rovers." — Divine Glimpses, p. 4 (1659).
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 “to shoot at rovers” mean?
To shoot at random with- out any distinct aim. Unbelievers are said by Clobery to "shoot at rovers." — Divine Glimpses, p. 4 (1659).
Is “to shoot at rovers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.