traverse
/trəˈvɜːs/ (bre, ipa) · /trəˈvɜːrs/ (ame, ipa) · /trə-ˈvərs also tra-ˈvərs or ˈtra-(ˌ)vərs/ (ame, mw)
traverse — verb
- traversepresent simple I / you / we / they
- traverseshe / she / it
- traversedpast simple
- traversing-ing form
1. to travel across a place, especially when the journey is long, difficult, or req
to travel across a place, especially when the journey is long, difficult, or requires effort, such as crossing a desert, a forest, or a mountain range
Tendai and his team spent three weeks traversing the desert in northern Kenya.
traverse + noun phrase (desert, region)
The hiking trail traverses a steep ridge near the town of Chamonix in the French Alps.
To reach the village, we had to traverse a dense forest with no clear trail.
Min carefully traversed the icy slope, placing each foot with care.
The Trans-Siberian Railway traverses Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok over nine thousand kilometres.
- cross
more common and less formal; suitable for everyday movement
- go across
informal; preferred in spoken English
- pass through
emphasises the journey from one side to the other without dwelling on difficulty
文法句型
traverse + noun phrase (area, region, terrain, distance)
用法筆記
Traverse is more formal than 'cross' or 'go across' and often suggests that the movement is physically demanding or covers a notable distance. Frequently used in travel writing, geography, and mountaineering contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to stretch across a physical space, a period of time, or a range of subjects, so
to stretch across a physical space, a period of time, or a range of subjects, so as to cover or include it
The bridge traverses the river at its widest point, connecting two towns.
traverse + physical space (bridge traverses river)
Professor Baraka's twenty-year research career traverses marine biology, oceanography, and climate policy.
traverse + range of subjects (fields, topics)
The novel traverses three generations of the Lin family, from Japanese colonial rule to modern Taipei.
A wide hallway traverses the entire length of the old school building.
Over dinner, the conversation traversed many topics, from politics to cooking.
- span
more common; preferred for physical structures like bridges and for time periods
- extend across
emphasises the idea of stretching from one end to the other
- cover
informal; works for both physical and abstract ranges
文法句型
traverse + noun phrase (distance, period, range, territory)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (MOVE ACROSS): sense 2 describes a static extension or coverage — a bridge or hallway does not move, but it stretches across something. Sense 1 involves active movement by a person or vehicle.
3. in a legal case, to state formally that an accusation or factual claim made by t
in a legal case, to state formally that an accusation or factual claim made by the other side is not true
The defendant's lawyer traversed each allegation in the written response.
legal register: traverse + allegation
In court filings, the company formally traversed the claim of negligence.
The legal team advised their client to traverse the indictment in court.
The corporation's lawyers formally traversed the accusation of fraud in their submission.
- admit
to accept that an accusation is true
文法句型
traverse + noun phrase (allegation, charge, indictment, claim)
用法筆記
Restricted to formal legal writing and court proceedings. In everyday language, 'deny' is used instead.
traverse — noun
1. the action or process of moving across a place, especially when this involves di
the action or process of moving across a place, especially when this involves difficulty or covers a great distance
The traverse of the glacier took the team nearly ten hours.
the + traverse + of + noun phrase
After a long traverse across the open ocean, the ship finally reached port.
The hikers completed the traverse of the mountain range in five days.
Élise wrote a blog post about her solo traverse of the Pyrenees.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (ROUTE ACROSS): sense 1 refers to the act of crossing itself, while sense 3 refers to the path or route used for crossing.: sense 3 refers to the act of crossing itself, while sense 2 refers to the path or route used for crossing.
2. a beam, bar, or other part that is fixed across something else, such as a window
a beam, bar, or other part that is fixed across something else, such as a window frame, a door, or a support structure
The window frame has a wooden traverse that divides the upper and lower panes.
traverse as a countable noun (a wooden traverse)
Workers installed a steel traverse across the two main support columns.
The old barn door was reinforced with a thick iron traverse.
Each tall window in the cathedral had a stone traverse dividing the upper and lower arched sections.
3. a path, way, or surveyed line that goes across an area, often one that is not st
a path, way, or surveyed line that goes across an area, often one that is not straight or is difficult to follow
The surveyors mapped a traverse through the rocky hillside for the new road.
surveying sense: mapped a traverse
Sailors planned a zigzag traverse to make progress against the strong wind.
The climbing route follows a difficult traverse along the cliff face.
The old caravan traverse through the Pamir Mountains took merchants over three weeks to complete.
用法筆記
Common in surveying, sailing, and mountaineering to describe a curved, angled, or zigzag route rather than a straight line.
4. a formal written statement in a legal case that refuses to accept an accusation
a formal written statement in a legal case that refuses to accept an accusation or factual claim made by the other side
The filing contained a traverse of each factual claim made by the plaintiff.
legal register: a traverse of + claim
The judge reviewed the defendant's traverse of the charges before the hearing.
The attorney prepared a detailed traverse of each point raised by the prosecution.
In federal court, the defendant's traverse of the complaint must be filed within twenty-one days.
- admission
accepting a claim as true
用法筆記
Restricted to legal pleadings. In everyday English, 'denial' is used instead.
traverse — adjective
- traversepositive
- more traversecomparative
- most traversesuperlative
1. positioned or running across something rather than along it, typically used of b
positioned or running across something rather than along it, typically used of beams, lines, cracks, or grooves
The engineer added a traverse beam to strengthen the building's frame.
traverse + noun (beam, crack, groove)
A traverse crack appeared in the wall after the earthquake.
A CNC milling machine cuts traverse grooves into steel roof panels to channel rainwater toward the edges.
The roof was supported by several traverse beams running from wall to wall.
- transverse
more common for this sense; preferred in technical and academic writing
- cross
used in compound nouns such as 'cross beam' or 'cross section'
- horizontal
broader meaning; refers to any position parallel to the ground
- longitudinal
running along the length of something rather than across it
用法筆記
The adjective 'traverse' is rare; the synonym 'transverse' is much more common in modern English for this meaning.