a defeat attended with disorderly flight; dispersal of a defeated force in complete disorder: to put an army to rout; to put reason to rout.
2.
any overwhelming defeat: a rout of the home team by the state champions.
3.
a tumultuous or disorderly crowd of persons.
4.
the rabble or mob.
5.
Law. a disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons acting together in a manner that suggests an intention to riot although they do not actually carry out the intention.
6.
a large, formal evening party or social gathering.
7.
Archaic. a company or band of people.
–verb (used with object)
8.
to disperse in defeat and disorderly flight: to rout an army.
9.
to defeat decisively: to rout an opponent in conversation.
[Origin: 1200–50; (n.) ME < AF rute, OF route a fraction, detachment < L rupta, fem. ptp. of rumpere to break; (v.) deriv. of the n.]
[Middle English route, from Old French, troop, defeat, from Vulgar Latin *rupta, from feminine of Latin ruptus, past participle of rumpere, to break; see reup- in Indo-European roots.]
1598, "disorderly retreat," from M.Fr. route "disorderly flight of troops," lit. "a breaking off, rupture," from V.L. rupta "a dispersed group," lit. "a broken group," from L. rupta, fem. pp. of rumpere "to break" (see rupture). The verb is from 1600.
Root\, v. i. [Cf. Rout to roar.] To shout for, or otherwise noisly applaud or encourage, a contestant, as in sports; hence, to wish earnestly for the success of some one or the happening of some event, with the superstitious notion that this action may have efficacy; -- usually with for; as, the crowd rooted for the home team. [Slang or Cant, U. S.]
Rout\, n. A bellowing; a shouting; noise; clamor; uproar; disturbance; tumult. --Shak. This new book the whole world makes such a rout about. --Sterne. "My child, it is not well," I said, "Among the graves to shout; To laugh and play among the dead, And make this noisy rout." --Trench.
Rout\, v. t. [A variant of root.] To scoop out with a gouge or other tool; to furrow. To rout out (a) To turn up to view, as if by rooting; to discover; to find. (b) To turn out by force or compulsion; as, to rout people out of bed. [Colloq.]
Rout\, n. [OF. route, LL. rupta, properly, a breaking, fr. L. ruptus, p. p. of rumpere to break. See Rupture, reave, and cf. Rote repetition of forms, Route. In some senses this word has been confused with rout a bellowing, an uproar.] [Formerly spelled also route.]1. A troop; a throng; a company; an assembly; especially, a traveling company or throng. [Obs.] "A route of ratones [rats]." --Piers Plowman. "A great solemn route." --Chaucer. And ever he rode the hinderest of the route. --Chaucer. A rout of people there assembled were. --Spenser. 2. A disorderly and tumultuous crowd; a mob; hence, the rabble; the herd of common people. the endless routs of wretched thralls. --Spenser. The ringleader and head of all this rout. --Shak. Nor do I name of men the common rout. --Milton. 3. The state of being disorganized and thrown into confusion; -- said especially of an army defeated, broken in pieces, and put to flight in disorder or panic; also, the act of defeating and breaking up an army; as, the rout of the enemy was complete. thy army . . . Dispersed in rout, betook them all to fly. --Daniel. To these giad conquest, murderous rout to those. --pope. 4. (Law) A disturbance of the peace by persons assembled together with intent to do a thing which, if executed, would make them rioters, and actually making a motion toward the executing thereof. --Wharton. 5. A fashionable assembly, or large evening party. "At routs and dances." --Landor. To put to rout, to defeat and throw into confusion; to overthrow and put to flight.
Rout\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Routed; p. pr. & vb. n. Routing.] To break the ranks of, as troops, and put them to flight in disorder; to put to rout. That party . . . that charged the Scots, so totally routed and defeated their whole army, that they fied. --Clarendon. Syn: To defeat; discomfit; overpower; overthrow.
Rout\, v. i. To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to collect in company. [obs.] --Bacon. In all that land no Christian[s] durste route. --Chaucer.
Route\ (r[=oo]t or rout; 277), n. [OE. & F. route, OF. rote, fr. L. rupta (sc. via), fr. ruptus, p. p. of rumpere to break; hence, literally, a broken or beaten way or path. See Rout, and cf. Rut a track.] The course or way which is traveled or passed, or is to be passed; a passing; a course; a road or path; a march. Wide through the furzy field their route they take. --Gay.
Rup"ture\ (?; 135), n. [L. ruptura, fr. rumpere, ruptum to break: cf. F. rupture. See Reave, and cf. Rout a defeat.]1. The act of breaking apart, or separating; the state of being broken asunder; as, the rupture of the skin; the rupture of a vessel or fiber; the rupture of a lutestring. --Arbuthnot. Hatch from the egg, that soon, Bursting with kindly rupture, forth disclosed Their callow young. --Milton. 2. Breach of peace or concord between individuals; open hostility or war between nations; interruption of friendly relations; as, the parties came to a rupture. He knew that policy would disincline Napoleon from a rupture with his family. --E. Everett. 3. (Med.) Hernia. See Hernia. 4. A bursting open, as of a steam boiler, in a less sudden manner than by explosion. See Explosion. Modulus of rupture. (Engin.) See under Modulus. Syn: Fracture; breach; break; burst; disruption; dissolution. See Fracture.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [rout] Pronunciation Key 
