rout

¹

[rout]

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.

   Synonyms: horde, swarm

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)

1. to disperse in defeat and disorderly flight.

   to rout an army.

2. to defeat decisively.

   to rout an opponent in conversation.

   Synonyms: subdue, overcome, overwhelm

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)

1. to turn over or dig up (something) with the snout.

2. to find or get by searching, rummaging, etc. (usually followed byout ).

3. to cause to rise from bed (often followed by up orout ).

4. to force or drive out.

5. to hollow out or furrow, as with a scoop, gouge, or machine.

rout

³

[rout]

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

1. to snore.

rout

⁴

[rout, root]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to bellow; roar.

noun

1. a bellow.

rout

¹

/ raʊt /

noun

1. an overwhelming defeat

2. a disorderly retreat

3. a noisy rabble

4. law a group of three or more people proceeding to commit an illegal act

5. archaic,  a large party or social gathering

verb

1. (tr) to defeat and cause to flee in confusion

rout

²

/ raʊt /

verb

1. to dig over or turn up (something), esp (of an animal) with the snout; root

2. (tr; usually foll by out or up) to get or find by searching

3. to force or drive out

   they routed him out of bed at midnight

4. to hollow or gouge out

5. (intr) to search, poke, or rummage

Word History and Origins

Origin of rout¹

First recorded in 1200–50; (noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French rute, Old French route “a fraction, detachment,” from Latin rupta, feminine past participle of rumpere “to break”; (verb) derivative of the noun

Origin of rout²

First recorded in 1540–50; alteration of root ²; compare Middle Dutch ruten “to root out”

Origin of rout³

First recorded before 900; Middle English routen, Old English hrūtan; cognate with Old High German hrūzan

Origin of rout⁴

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English rowten, from Old Norse rauta “to bellow”; akin to Latin rudere

Word History and Origins

Origin of rout¹

C13: from Anglo-Norman rute , from Old French: disorderly band, from Latin ruptus broken, from rumpere to burst; see _route

Origin of rout²

C16: variant of _root ²

Example Sentences

A liquidity drain in financial markets, plus slimmer odds that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December, also have been suggested factors in the rout.

Read more on MarketWatch

Just think about the tech selloff that followed the release of China’s DeepSeek AI technology earlier this year, as well as the market rout in response to fear over tariffs in April.

Read more on Barron's

The one-sided rout was, Mr. Hoyos writes, “the end of Carthage’s last army.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Bitcoin fell to its lowest level in six months Thursday afternoon, deepening its bear-market rout as long-term holders of the cryptocurrency stepped up their selling.

Read more on MarketWatch

Democrats defeated Republicans in a rout on Nov. 4.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• beat 
• chase 
• clobber 
• conquer 
• crush 
• destroy 
• expel 
• finish 
• kill 
• overpower 
• repulse 
• subdue 
• trounce 
• vanquish 
• whip 
• wipe out