rote

1 [roht]
noun
1.
routine; a fixed, habitual, or mechanical course of procedure: the rote of daily living.
adjective
2.
proceeding mechanically and repetitiously; being mechanical and repetitious in nature; routine; habitual: rote performance; rote implementation; His behavior became more rote with every passing year.
3.
by rote, from memory, without thought of the meaning; in a mechanical way: to learn a language by rote.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English; of obscure origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged

rote

2 [roht]
noun Music.
Also, rota, rotta, rotte.


Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Old French < Frankish *hrota (compare Old High German hruozza); akin to crowd2

00:10
Rote is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

rote

3 [roht]
noun
the sound of waves breaking on the shore.

Origin:
1600–10; perhaps < Old Norse rauta ‘roar’

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To rote
Collins
World English Dictionary
rote1 (rəʊt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a habitual or mechanical routine or procedure
2.  by rote by repetition; by heart (often in the phrase learn by rote)
 
[C14: origin unknown]

rote2 (rəʊt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
an ancient violin-like musical instrument; crwth
 
[C13: from Old French rote, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German rotta, Middle Dutch rotte]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

rote
c.1300, in phrase bi rote "by heart," of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be connected with O.Fr. rote "route" (see route), or from L. rota "wheel" (see rotary), but O.E.D. calls both suggestions groundless.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

rote

see by heart (rote).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

rote

medieval European stringed musical instrument. The name is frequently applied to the boxlike lyres with straight or waisted sides frequently pictured in medieval illustrations of musical instruments. Some surviving writings, however, indicate that contemporary writers may have applied the name to the harp. The rotta probably originated in Ireland as the cruit and spread to the European continent. The Irish name is related to crwth, the Welsh bowed lyre.

Learn more about rote with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The system of entrance exams is rigged against the poor, and the rote memory
  methodology rewards good memory and cheating.
Most courses are so strongly geared towards rote memorization that critical
  thought can often be found lacking.
Science and math principles are taught through hands-on activities, not through
  rote learning.
In effect, this creates a tyranny of exams largely based on rote learning.
Idioms & Phrases
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT