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rout

Pronunciation: /ɹaʊt/

The English word “rout” has 20 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A group of people; a crowd, a throng, a troop; in particular (archaic), a group of people accompanying or travelling with someone.
  2. A group of animals, especially one which is lively or unruly, or made up of wild animals such as wolves; a flock, a herd, a pack.
  3. A group or assortment of snails.
  4. A group of disorganized things.
  5. A group of (often violent) criminals or gangsters; such people as a class; (more generally) a disorderly and tumultuous crowd, a mob; hence (archaic, preceded by the), the common people as a group, the rabble.
  6. A fashionable assembly; a large evening party, a soirée.
  7. A noisy disturbance; also, a disorderly argument or fight, a brawl; (uncountable) disturbance of the peace, commotion, tumult.
  8. An illegal assembly of people; specifically, three or more people who have come together intending to do something illegal, and who have taken steps towards this, regarded as more serious than an unlawful assembly but not as serious as a riot; the act of assembling in this manner.
  9. The act of completely defeating an army or other enemy force, causing it to retreat in a disorganized manner; (by extension) in politics, sport, etc.: a convincing defeat; a thrashing, a trouncing.
  10. The retreat of an enemy force, etc., in this manner; also (archaic, rare), the army, enemy force, etc., so retreating.
  11. A loud, resounding noise, especially one made by the sea, thunder, wind, etc.; a roar.

verb

  1. To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to collect in company.
  2. To cause to move.
  3. To completely defeat and force into disorderly retreat (an enemy force, opponent in sport, etc.).
  4. To retreat from a confrontation in disorder.
  5. To snore, especially loudly.
  6. To make a noise; to bellow, to roar, to snort.
  7. Especially of the sea, thunder, wind, etc.: to make a loud roaring noise; to howl, to roar, to rumble.
  8. Of a person: to say or shout (something) loudly.
  9. Of a person: to speak loudly; to bellow, roar, to shout.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English rout, route (“group of people associated with one another, company; entourage, retinue; army; group of soldiers; group of pirates; large number of people, crowd; throng; group of disreputable people, mob; riot; group of animals; group of objects; proper condition or manner”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman route, rute, Middle French rote, route, Old…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.