rout
rout Lexical Profile
rout Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A disorderly retreat of defeated troops or an overwhelming, decisive defeat in a competition or contest.
"The championship game quickly turned into a rout after the home team scored four unanswered goals in the first half."
A tumultuous, noisy, or disorderly crowd of people; a mob or rabble.
"A noisy rout of revelers spilled out of the tavern into the narrow cobblestone street."
In historical usage, a large, fashionable formal evening party or social gathering.
"Eighteenth-century London society was famous for its crowded evening routs, where guests could barely move from room to room."
• verb
To defeat decisively and cause to retreat in disorder (especially of an opposing force, competitor, or sports team).
"The defending champions routed their rivals in straight sets to claim the tournament title."
To cut a groove, channel, or hollowed-out recess in wood, metal, or stone using a specialized cutting tool.
"The cabinetmaker carefully routed the edges of the oak tabletop to give it a decorative bevel."
To rummage, dig, or search about thoroughly, or to force someone out of a bed, hiding place, or shelter (often used with 'out').
"The camp counselor routed the sleepy teenagers out of their bunks at dawn for the morning hike."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'rout' (pronounced like 'out', meaning a decisive defeat or disorderly retreat) with 'route' (a path or course of travel, which can be pronounced either like 'root' or 'out').
• Rhymes for rout
Word Origin & Etymology
The sense of a disorderly retreat or decisive defeat entered English in the late 16th century from Middle French 'route', from Old French 'rote' (host, troop), ultimately from Latin 'rupta' (a broken or dispersed division), feminine past participle of 'rumpere' (to break). The woodworking sense of scooping or hollowing out is a variant of 'root' (to dig with the snout), from Old English 'wrotan'.