rout
Plural: routs
Noun
- a disorderly crowd of people
- an overwhelming defeat
- A group of people; a crowd, a throng, a troop; in particular (archaic), a group of people accompanying or travelling with someone.
- A group of animals, especially one which is lively or unruly, or made up of wild animals such as wolves; a flock, a herd, a pack.
- A group of disorganized things.
- A group of (often violent) criminals or gangsters; such people as a class; (more generally) a disorderly and tumultuous crowd, a mob; hence (archaic, preceded by the), the common people as a group, the rabble.
- A fashionable assembly; a large evening party, a soirée.
- A noisy disturbance; also, a disorderly argument or fight, a brawl; (uncountable) disturbance of the peace, commotion, tumult.
- An illegal assembly of people; specifically, three or more people who have come together intending to do something illegal, and who have taken steps towards this, regarded as more serious than an unlawful assembly but not as serious as a riot; the act of assembling in this manner.
- The act of completely defeating an army or other enemy force, causing it to retreat in a disorganized manner; (by extension) in politics, sport, etc.: a convincing defeat; a thrashing, a trouncing.
- The retreat of an enemy force, etc., in this manner; also (archaic, rare), the army, enemy force, etc., so retreating.
- A loud, resounding noise, especially one made by the sea, thunder, wind, etc.; a roar.
- A lowing or mooing sound by an animal, especially cattle; a bellow, a moo.
- A loud shout; a bellow, a roar; also, an instance of loud and continued exclamation or shouting; a clamour, an outcry.
- A violent movement; a heavy or stunning blow or stroke.
- The brant or brent goose (Branta bernicla).
Verb
Verb Forms: routed, routing, routs
- To defeat an opponent overwhelmingly or put to flight.
- cause to flee
- "rout out the fighters from their caves"
- dig with the snout
- make a groove in
- defeat disastrously
- To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to collect in company.
- To completely defeat and force into disorderly retreat (an enemy force, opponent in sport, etc.).
- To retreat from a confrontation in disorder.
- To snore, especially loudly.
- To make a noise; to bellow, to roar, to snort.
- Especially of the sea, thunder, wind, etc.: to make a loud roaring noise; to howl, to roar, to rumble.
- Of a person: to say or shout (something) loudly.
- Of a person: to speak loudly; to bellow, roar, to shout.
- Of an animal, especially cattle: to low or moo loudly; to bellow.
- To dig or plough (earth or the ground); to till.
- Usually followed by out or up: of a person: to search for and find (something); also (transitive) to completely empty or clear out (something).
- Usually followed by from: to compel (someone) to leave a place; specifically (usually followed by out or up), to cause (someone) to get out of bed.
- Of an animal, especially a pig: to search (for something) in the ground with the snout; to root.
- To use a gouge, router, or other tool to scoop out material (from a metallic, wooden, etc., surface), forming a groove or recess.
- Of a person: to search through belongings, a place, etc.; to rummage.
- Usually followed by out or up: to dig or pull up (a plant) by the roots; to extirpate, to uproot.
- Usually followed by out: to find and eradicate (something harmful or undesirable); to root out.
- To beat or strike (someone or something); to assail (someone or something) with blows.
Examples
- My Words With Friends strategy was so effective, I managed to rout my opponent by over 100 points.
- The rout of the enemy was complete.
- The visiting football team was put to rout.
Origin / Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English rout, route (“group of people associated with one another, company; entourage, retinue; army; group of soldiers; group of pirates; large number of people, crowd; throng; group of disreputable people, mob; riot; group of animals; group of objects; proper condition or manner”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman route, rute, Middle French rote, route, Old French rote, route, rute (“group of people, company; group of armed people; group of criminals; group of cattle”) (modern French route (obsolete)), from Latin rupta (compare Late Latin ruta, rutta (“group of marauders; riot; unlawful assembly”)), the feminine of ruptus (“broken; burst, ruptured”), the perfect passive participle of rumpō (“to break, burst, rupture, tear; to force open; (figurative) to annul; to destroy; to interrupt”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to break; to tear (up)”). The English word is a doublet of route.
The verb is derived from Middle English routen (“to assemble, congregate; of animals: to herd together; to regroup, make a stand against; to be riotous, to riot”) [and other forms], from rout, route (noun); see above.
Synonyms
expel, gouge, mob, rabble, root, rootle, rout out, spread-eagle, spreadeagle, brant goose, company, gathering, road-goose, rood goose, rot-goose
Scrabble Score: 4
rout: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordrout: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
rout: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary