router

¹ American  

[rou-ter] / ˈraʊ tər /

noun

1. any of various tools or machines for routing, hollowing out, or furrowing.

2. Also called router plane.  Carpentry. a plane for cutting interior angles, as at the bottom of a groove.

3. a machine or tool for cutting into or below a main surface, as of a die or engraving plate.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cut with a router.

router ² American  

[roo-ter, rou-] / ˈru tər, ˈraʊ- /

noun

1. a person or thing that routes.

2. a piece of hardware or software having a specific IP address and connected to network nodes for the transfer of data between computers.

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router ¹ British  

/ ˈruːtə /

noun

1. computing a device that allows packets of data to be moved efficiently between two points on a network

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router ² British  

/ ˈraʊtə /

noun

1. any of various tools or machines for hollowing out, cutting grooves, etc

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router Scientific  

/ rou′tər /

1. A device in a network that handles message transfers between computers. A router receives information and forwards it based on what the router determines to be the most efficient route at the time of transfer.

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Etymology

Origin of router¹

First recorded in 1840–50; rout ² + -er ¹

Origin of router²

First recorded in 1900–05; route + -er ¹

Example Sentences

With Wi-Fi and Thread radios on board, they can also act as a Thread Border Router, a key feature for the upcoming Matter smart home standard.

From The Verge • Jul. 14, 2022

Winter, now 49, counsels others she calls "the Router family" who experienced the deadly night at the Route 91 Harvest Festival.

From Fox News • Oct. 1, 2021

Tor, or The Onion Router, is a way of organising web-like pages so it is hard to work out where the information is located and who is running them.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2018

The two others are the Router Charged Backpack, at $249, and the Recon Charged Backpack at $199.

From US News • Nov. 20, 2015

Router and Brown Willy stood like grim sentinels watching over the scene.

From The Day of Judgment by Hocking, Joseph