rout1

[rout] /raʊt/
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.
3.
a tumultuous or disorderly crowd of persons.
4.
the rabble or mob.
5.
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.
6.
a large, formal evening party or social gathering.
7.
Archaic. a company or band of people.
verb (used with object)
8.
to disperse in defeat and disorderly flight:
to rout an army.
9.
to defeat decisively:
to rout an opponent in conversation.
Origin
1200-50; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French rute, Old French route a fraction, detachment < Latin rupta, feminine past participle of rumpere to break; (v.) derivative of the noun
Synonyms
3. swarm, horde. 9. overwhelm, overcome, subdue.

rout2

[rout] /raʊt/
verb (used without object)
1.
to root:
pigs routing in the garden.
2.
to poke, search, or rummage.
verb (used with object)
3.
to turn over or dig up (something) with the snout.
4.
to find or get by searching, rummaging, etc. (usually followed by out).
5.
to cause to rise from bed (often followed by up or out).
6.
to force or drive out.
7.
to hollow out or furrow, as with a scoop, gouge, or machine.
Origin
1540-50; alteration of root2; compare Middle Dutch ruten to root out

rout3

[rout] /raʊt/
verb (used without object), Archaic.
1.
to snore.
Origin
before 900; Middle English routen, Old English hrūtan; cognate with Old High German hrūzan

rout4

[rout, root] /raʊt, rut/
verb (used without object), verb (used with object)
1.
to bellow; roar.
noun
2.
a bellow.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English rowten < Old Norse rauta to bellow; akin to Latin rudere
Examples from the web for rout
  • In some countries with big deficits, the fear of a bond-market rout is forcing rapid action.
  • The conflict is one which certainly cannot be terminated by the utter rout of the actor profession.
  • He and his party were thanked with a rout at the polls last year.
British Dictionary definitions for rout

rout1

/raʊt/
noun
1.
an overwhelming defeat
2.
a disorderly retreat
3.
a noisy rabble
4.
(law) a group of three or more people proceeding to commit an illegal act
5.
(archaic) a large party or social gathering
verb
6.
(transitive) to defeat and cause to flee in confusion
Word Origin
C13: from Anglo-Norman rute, from Old French: disorderly band, from Latin ruptus broken, from rumpere to burst; see route

rout2

/raʊt/
verb
1.
to dig over or turn up (something), esp (of an animal) with the snout; root
2.
(transitive; usually foll by out or up) to get or find by searching
3.
(transitive) usually foll by out. to force or drive out: they routed him out of bed at midnight
4.
(transitive) often foll by out. to hollow or gouge out
5.
(intransitive) to search, poke, or rummage
Word Origin
C16: variant of root²
Word Origin and History for rout
n.

1590s, "disorderly retreat following a defeat," from Middle French route "disorderly flight of troops," literally "a breaking off, rupture," from Vulgar Latin rupta "a dispersed group," literally "a broken group," from noun use of Latin rupta, fem. past participle of rumpere "to break" (see rupture (n.)).

The archaic English noun rout "group of persons, assemblage," is the same word, from Anglo-French rute, Old French route "host, troop, crowd," from Vulgar Latin rupta "a dispersed group," here with sense of "a division, a detachment." It first came to English meaning "group of soldiers" (early 13c.), also "gang of outlaws or rioters, mob" (c.1300) before the more general sense developed 14c. Also as a legal term. Cf. rout-cake (1807), one baked for use at a reception.

v.

"drive into disordered flight by defeat," c.1600, from rout (n.). Related: Routed; routing.