the act of roving; a ramble

It also had a traditional usage implying the sexual act, taken from the image no doubt of passing the end of a rope through a block or ring ~ hence the punning use in a traditional English folk song with a refrain something like:

"A-roving, a-roving, since roving's been my ru-i-in,
I'll go no more a-roving with you, fair maid!"

The sailor singing the refrain was thus refusing to either go walking (or anything else) with the abandoned maid!


(not sure of the words in detail, this just from memory so ycliu)