rout

1
[ rout ]
See synonyms for: routroutedrouting on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. a tumultuous or disorderly crowd of persons.

  2. the rabble or mob.

  3. 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.

  4. a large, formal evening party or social gathering.

  5. 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.

Origin of rout

1
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

Other words for rout

Words that may be confused with rout

Words Nearby rout

Other definitions for rout (2 of 4)

rout2
[ 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 by out).

  1. to cause to rise from bed (often followed by up or out).

  2. to force or drive out.

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

Origin of rout

2
First recorded in 1540–50; alteration of root2; compare Middle Dutch ruten “to root out”

Other definitions for rout (3 of 4)

rout3
[ rout ]

verb (used without object)Archaic.
  1. to snore.

Origin of rout

3
First recorded before 900; Middle English routen, Old English hrūtan; cognate with Old High German hrūzan

Other definitions for rout (4 of 4)

rout4
[ rout, root ]

verb (used with or without object)
  1. to bellow; roar.

noun
  1. a bellow.

Origin of rout

4
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English rowten, from Old Norse rauta “to bellow”; akin to Latin rudere

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rout in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rout (1 of 2)

rout1

/ (raʊt) /


noun
  1. an overwhelming defeat

  2. a disorderly retreat

  1. a noisy rabble

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

  3. archaic a large party or social gathering

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

Origin of rout

1
C13: from Anglo-Norman rute, from Old French: disorderly band, from Latin ruptus broken, from rumpere to burst; see route

British Dictionary definitions for rout (2 of 2)

rout2

/ (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

  1. (tr usually foll by out) to force or drive out: they routed him out of bed at midnight

  2. (tr often foll by out) to hollow or gouge out

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

Origin of rout

2
C16: variant of root ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012