Revised 2011 More entries for "rut"
rutnoun2
Factsheet
What does the noun rut mean?
There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun rut. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun rut?
About 1occurrence per million words in modern written English
1750 | 0.29 |
1760 | 0.34 |
1770 | 0.4 |
1780 | 0.5 |
1790 | 0.57 |
1800 | 0.59 |
1810 | 0.57 |
1820 | 0.55 |
1830 | 0.59 |
1840 | 0.62 |
1850 | 0.73 |
1860 | 0.86 |
1870 | 0.97 |
1880 | 1.1 |
1890 | 1.2 |
1900 | 1.4 |
1910 | 1.5 |
1920 | 1.6 |
1930 | 1.5 |
1940 | 1.4 |
1950 | 1.2 |
1960 | 1.1 |
1970 | 0.98 |
1980 | 0.98 |
1990 | 1.0 |
2000 | 1.1 |
2010 | 1.1 |
How is the noun rut pronounced?
British English
/rʌt/
rut
U.S. English
/rət/
rut
Where does the noun rut come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun rut is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for rut is from 1552, in the writing of Richard Huloet, lexicographer.
It is also recorded as a verb from the mid 1500s.
Probably either (i) formed within English, by conversion. Or perhaps (ii) a variant or alteration of another lexical item.
Nearby entries
- rusty gravel, n.1791–
- rusty gum, n.1847–
- rusty inga, n.1704–1832
- rustyish, adj.1803–82
- Rusty Nail, n.1963–
- rusty spot, n.1899–
- rusty-spotted cat, n.1873–
- rusty woodsia, n.1864–
- Rusyn, n. & adj.1835–
- rut, n.¹c1381–
- rut, n.²1552–
- rut, n.³1582–
- rut, n.⁴1607–1728
- rut, n.⁵1785–
- rut, v.¹c1450–
- rut, v.²c1540–
- rut, v.³1588
- rut, v.⁴1607–
- rutabaga, n.1789–
- rutaceous, adj.1800–
- rutar, n.1610–1864
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for rut, n.²
rut, n.² was revised in March 2011.
rut, n.² was last modified in December 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into rut, n.² in December 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1910)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for rut, n.²
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- rusty gravel, n.1791–
- rusty gum, n.1847–
- rusty inga, n.1704–1832
- rustyish, adj.1803–82
- Rusty Nail, n.1963–
- rusty spot, n.1899–
- rusty-spotted cat, n.1873–
- rusty woodsia, n.1864–
- Rusyn, n. & adj.1835–
- rut, n.¹c1381–
- rut, n.²1552–
- rut, n.³1582–
- rut, n.⁴1607–1728
- rut, n.⁵1785–
- rut, v.¹c1450–
- rut, v.²c1540–
- rut, v.³1588
- rut, v.⁴1607–
- rutabaga, n.1789–
- rutaceous, adj.1800–
- rutar, n.1610–1864