rout

[ rout ]

/ raʊt /

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See synonyms for: rout / routed / routing on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

any overwhelming defeat: a rout of the home team by the state champions.

a tumultuous or disorderly crowd of persons.

the rabble or mob.

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.

a large, formal evening party or social gathering.

Archaic. a company or band of people.

verb (used with object)

to disperse in defeat and disorderly flight: to rout an army.

to defeat decisively: to rout an opponent in conversation.

OTHER WORDS FOR rout

3 swarm, horde.

9 overwhelm, overcome, subdue.

See synonyms for rout on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of rout

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rout

root, rout , route

Other definitions for rout (2 of 4)

rout²

[ rout ]

/ raʊt /

verb (used without object)

to root: pigs routing in the garden.

to poke, search, or rummage.

verb (used with object)

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

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

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

to force or drive out.

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

Origin of rout

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

Other definitions for rout (3 of 4)

rout³

[ rout ]

/ raʊt /

verb (used without object) Archaic.

to snore.

Origin of rout

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 ]

/ raʊt, rut /

Chiefly British Dialect

verb (used with or without object)

to bellow; roar.

noun

a bellow.

Origin of rout

⁴

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

How to use rout in a sentence

The condensate is then supposed to be routed into the pipeline system that delivers the crude to the nearby refinery.
Oil Tankers Leaking into Seattle’s Water|Bill Conroy|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Bone, when we routed him out, could not promise us any more accommodation than he had so kindly given us the first night.
The Stacks: H.L. Mencken on the 1904 Baltimore Fire|H.L. Mencken|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, he decided to take the rod against Sunni groups, like the Anbar Awakening councils that routed al Qaeda in Iraq in 2007.
Iran Is the Biggest Loser in Iraq|Aki Peritz|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His team routed the British and hence, at the Patiala Peg, drinks are served in 75 ml glasses, compared to the standard 60 ml.
An Indian Icon Reborn: The Imperial Hotel Reclaims Its Glory Days|Esha Chhabra|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But Pratap Rudra, routed repeatedly by his lack of preparedness in a rapidly altering region, had exposed his weaknesses.
India’s Newest State Telangana Is Bosnia Redux|Kranti Rai|March 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Doubt, suspicion, anger clouded vision; pain routed the impersonal conception.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The next day Porter was caught at Stockton and completely routed, losing nearly a hundred men.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The Lancasters are defeated, their soldiers routed, and many of their leaders dispersed about the country.
The Battle of Hexham;|George Colman
At the third charge he routed them, slaying or taking many; St John, however, escaping.
King Robert the Bruce|A. F. Murison
A couple of miles out of the town, in the neighbourhood of La Paz, the entrenched enemy was routed after a slight skirmish.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for rout (1 of 2)

rout¹

/ (raʊt) /

noun

an overwhelming defeat

a disorderly retreat

a noisy rabble

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

archaic a large party or social gathering

verb

(tr) to defeat and cause to flee in confusion

Word Origin for rout

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

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

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

(tr usually foll by out) to force or drive outthey routed him out of bed at midnight

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

(intr) to search, poke, or rummage

Word Origin for rout

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

rout

OTHER WORDS FOR rout

Origin of rout

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rout

Other definitions for rout (2 of 4)

Origin of rout

Other definitions for rout (3 of 4)

Origin of rout

Other definitions for rout (4 of 4)

Origin of rout

Words related to rout

How to use rout in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rout (1 of 2)

Word Origin for rout

British Dictionary definitions for rout (2 of 2)

Word Origin for rout