Rout

Rout (rout), v. i. [AS. hrūtan.] 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.