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rout

 - 8 dictionary results

rout

1  [rout]
Use rout in a Sentence
–noun
1. 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.

Synonyms:
3. swarm, horde. 9. overwhelm, overcome, subdue.

rout

2  [rout] ,
–verb (used without object)
1. to root: pigs routing in the garden.
2. to poke, search, or rummage.
–verb (used with object)
3. to turn over or dig up (something) with the snout.
4. to find or get by searching, rummaging, etc. (usually fol. by out).
5. to cause to rise from bed (often fol. by up or out).
6. to force or drive out.
7. to hollow out or furrow, as with a scoop, gouge, or machine.
Origin:
1540–50; alter. of root 2 ; cf. MD ruten to root out

rout

3  [rout] ,
–verb (used without object) Archaic.
to snore.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME routen, OE hrūtan; c. OHG hrūzan

rout

4  [rout, root] ,Chiefly British Dialect
–verb (used without object), verb (used with object)
1. to bellow; roar.
–noun
2. a bellow.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME rowten < ON rauta to bellow; akin to L rudere
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To rout
rout 1   (rout)   
n.  

    1. A disorderly retreat or flight following defeat.

    2. An overwhelming defeat.

    3. A disorderly crowd of people; a mob.

    4. People of the lowest class; rabble.

    1. A disorderly crowd of people; a mob.

    2. People of the lowest class; rabble.

  3. A public disturbance; a riot.

  4. A company, as of knights or wolves, that are in movement. See Synonyms at flock1.

  5. A fashionable gathering.

tr.v.   rout·ed, rout·ing, routs

  1. To put to disorderly flight or retreat: "the flock of starlings which Jasper had routed with his gun" (Virginia Woolf).

  2. To defeat overwhelmingly. See Synonyms at defeat.


[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.]
rout 2   (rout)   
v.   rout·ed, rout·ing, routs

v.   intr.

  1. To dig with the snout; root.

  2. To poke around; rummage.

v.   tr.

  1. To expose to view as if by digging; uncover.

  2. To hollow, scoop, or gouge out.

  3. To drive or force out as if by digging; eject: rout out an informant.

  4. Archaic To dig up with the snout.


[Variant of root2.]
rout 3   (rout, rōōt)   
intr.v.   rout·ed, rout·ing, routs Chiefly British
To bellow. Used of cattle.

[Middle English routen, to roar, from Old Norse rauta.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

rout 
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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