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n. 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 fashionable gathering. 5. Archaic A group of people, especially knights, or of animals, especially wolves. tr.v. 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. [Middle English route, from Old French, troop, defeat, from Vulgar Latin *rupta, from feminine of Latin ruptus, past participle of rumpere, to break; see reup- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
v. rout·ed, rout·ing, routs v.intr. 1. To dig with the snout; root. 2. To poke around; rummage. v.tr. 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. [Variant of ROOT2.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
intr.v. rout·ed, rout·ing, routs Chiefly British To bellow. Used of cattle. [Middle English routen, to roar, from Old Norse rauta.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
