# drove

/ˈdɹoʊv/ (US) · /dɹˈəʊv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drove
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 3. cattle path

noun · CEFR C2 · British English

an old road or track used for moving farm animals.

For teachers: a traditional route or track specifically used for driving livestock to market.

- The old drove road is now a popular path for hikers.
- The ancient drove remains visible as a deep depression in the landscape, carved by centuries of cattle movement toward the southern markets.

### 4. to move livestock

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to move a group of animals from one place to another.

For teachers: to herd or conduct livestock over a distance, typically to market or new pastures.

- In the past, men drove cattle across the mountains for weeks.
- The local farmers would traditionally drove their sheep to the higher plateaus during the summer months to exploit the seasonal grazing.

## Examples

- People arrived in droves to see the new movie.
- When the summer heat became unbearable, tourists headed to the coast in droves to find cooler air.
- As the local economy collapsed, young professionals began leaving the city in droves, seeking better opportunities in the capital where the tech sector was still thriving.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.