- an overwhelming defeat
- a disorderly retreat
- a noisy rabble
- a group of three or more people proceeding to commit an illegal act
- archaic a large party or social gathering
- (transitive) to defeat and cause to flee in confusion
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
rout1 /raʊt/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [~ + object]
rout2 /raʊt/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024- a defeat, followed by disorderly retreat: [uncountable]to put an army to rout.[countable]The last game was a rout.
v. [~ + object]
- to defeat completely, causing a disorderly retreat:Our team routed our last two opponents.
rout2 /raʊt/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object]
- Animal Husbandryto turn over or dig up (something) with the snout.
- to find or get by searching, rummaging, forcing out, etc.
rout1
(rout),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
rout2 (rout),USA pronunciationv.i.
v.t.
rout3 (rout),USA pronunciation v.i. [Archaic.]
rout4 (rout, ro̅o̅t),USA pronunciation [Chiefly Brit. Dial.]
v.i., v.t.
n.
- 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.
- Lawa 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.
v.t.
- to disperse in defeat and disorderly flight:to rout an army.
- to defeat decisively:to rout an opponent in conversation.
- Latin rupta, feminine past participle of rumpere to break; (verb, verbal) derivative of the noun, nominal
- Anglo-French rute, Old French route a fraction, detachment
- (noun, nominal) Middle English 1200–50
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged swarm, horde.
- 9.See corresponding entry in Unabridged overwhelm, overcome, subdue.
rout2 (rout),USA pronunciation
- to root:pigs routing in the garden.
- to poke, search, or rummage.
v.t.
- Animal Husbandryto turn over or dig up (something) with the snout.
- to find or get by searching, rummaging, etc. (usually fol. by out).
- to cause to rise from bed (often fol. by up or out).
- to force or drive out.
- Buildingto hollow out or furrow, as with a scoop, gouge, or machine.
- 1540–50; alteration of root2; compare Middle Dutch ruten to root out
rout3 (rout),USA pronunciation v.i. [Archaic.]
- to snore.
- bef. 900; Middle English routen, Old English hrūtan; cognate with Old High German hrūzan
rout4 (rout, ro̅o̅t),USA pronunciation [Chiefly Brit. Dial.]
v.i., v.t.
- British Termsto bellow;
roar.
n.
- British Termsa bellow.
- Old Norse rauta to bellow; akin to Latin rudere
- Middle English rowten 1250–1300
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rout /raʊt/ n
rout /raʊt/ vb
- to dig over or turn up (something), esp (of an animal) with the snout; root
- (tr; usually followed by out or up) to get or find by searching
- (transitive) usually followed by out: to force or drive out: they routed him out of bed at midnight
- (transitive) often followed by out: to hollow or gouge out
- (intransitive) to search, poke, or rummage
'rout' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):