rout

The definition of a rout is a chaotic crowd of people, or a troop withdrawal.

(noun)

  1. An example of a rout is a group of people rioting in a city.
  2. An example of a rout is soldiers scattering from the scene of a lost battle.

To rout is to dig up or turn over ground.

(verb)

An example of to rout is a pig digging up truffles.

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See rout in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. a disorderly crowd; noisy mob; rabble
  2. a disorderly flight or retreat, as of defeated troops: to be put to rout
  3. an overwhelming defeat
  4. Archaic
    1. a group of people; company; band
    2. a band of followers; retinue
  5. Archaic a large, fashionable social gathering in the evening

Origin: ME route < OFr, troop, band, lit., part broken off < L rupta: see route

transitive verb

  1. to put to disorderly flight
  2. to defeat overwhelmingly

intransitive verb

  1. to dig for food with the snout, as a pig; root
  2. to poke or rummage about

Origin: var. of root

transitive verb

  1. to dig up or turn over with the snout
  2. to force out

See rout in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. a. A disorderly retreat or flight following defeat.
    b. An overwhelming defeat.
  2. a. A disorderly crowd of people; a mob.
    b. People of the lowest class; rabble.
  3. A public disturbance; a riot.
  4. A company, as of knights or wolves, that are in movement. See Synonyms at flock1.
  5. A fashionable gathering.
transitive verb rout·ed, rout·ing, routs
  1. To put to disorderly flight or retreat: “the flock of starlings which Jasper had routed with his gun” (Virginia Woolf).
  2. To defeat overwhelmingly. See Synonyms at defeat.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English route

Origin: , from Old French, troop, defeat

Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *rupta

Origin: , from feminine of Latin ruptus

Origin: , past participle of rumpere, to break; see reup- in Indo-European roots

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verb rout·ed, rout·ing, routs
verb, intransitive
  1. To dig with the snout; root.
  2. To poke around; rummage.
verb, transitive
  1. To expose to view as if by digging; uncover.
  2. To hollow, scoop, or gouge out.
  3. To drive or force out as if by digging; eject: rout out an informant.
  4. Archaic To dig up with the snout.

Origin:

Origin: Variant of root2

.

intransitive verb rout·ed, rout·ing, routs
Chiefly British
To bellow. Used of cattle.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English routen, to roar

Origin: , from Old Norse rauta

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