Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Rout?

\Rout\ (rout), v. i. [AS. hr[=u]tan.] To roar; to bellow; to snort; to snore loudly. [Obs. or Scot.] --Chaucer.
\Rout\, n. A bellowing; a shouting; noise; clamor; uproar; disturbance; tumult. --Shak. This new book the whole world makes such a rout about. --Sterne. ``My child, it is not well,'' I said, ``Among the graves to shout; To laugh and play among the dead, And make this noisy rout.'' --Trench.
\Rout\, v. t. [A variant of root.] To scoop out with a gouge or other tool; to furrow. {To rout out} (a) To turn up to view, as if by rooting; to discover; to find. (b) To turn out by force or compulsion; as, to rout people out of bed. [Colloq.]
\Rout\, v. i. To search or root in the ground, as a swine. --Edwards.
\Rout\, n. [OF. route, LL. rupta, properly, a breaking, fr. L. ruptus, p. p. of rumpere to break. See {Rupture}, {reave}, and cf. {Rote} repetition of forms, {Route}. In some senses this word has been confused with rout a bellowing, an uproar.] [Formerly spelled also {route}.] 1. A troop; a throng; a company; an assembly; especially, a traveling company or throng. [Obs.] ``A route of ratones [rats].'' --Piers Plowman. ``A great solemn route.'' --Chaucer. And ever he rode the hinderest of the route. --Chaucer. A rout of people there assembled were. --Spenser. 2. A disorderly and tumultuous crowd; a mob; hence, the rabble; the herd of common people. the endless routs of wretched thralls. --Spenser. The ringleader and head of all this rout. --Shak. Nor do I name of men the common rout. --Milton. 3. The state of being disorganized and thrown into confusion; -- said especially of an army defeated, broken in pieces, and put to flight in disorder or panic; also, the act of defeating and breaking up an army; as, the rout of the enemy was complete. thy army . . . Dispersed in rout, betook them all to fly. --Daniel. To these giad conquest, murderous rout to those. --pope. 4. (Law) A disturbance of the peace by persons assembled together with intent to do a thing which, if executed, would make them rioters, and actually making a motion toward the executing thereof. --Wharton. 5. A fashionable assembly, or large evening party. ``At routs and dances.'' --Landor. {To put to rout}, to defeat and throw into confusion; to overthrow and put to flight.
\Rout\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Routed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Routing}.] To break the ranks of, as troops, and put them to flight in disorder; to put to rout. That party . . . that charged the Scots, so totally routed and defeated their whole army, that they fied. --Clarendon. Syn: To defeat; discomfit; overpower; overthrow.
\Rout\, v. i. To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to collect in company. [obs.] --Bacon. In all that land no Christian[s] durste route. --Chaucer.