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rout

/ɹaʊt/ noun

Latin root: rupta Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rout at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A disorderly crowd of people.
  2. An overwhelming defeat.

verb

  1. Cause to flee.
    rout out the fighters from their caves
  2. Dig with the snout.
    the pig was rooting for truffles
  3. Make a groove in.

Origin

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 French rote, route, rute (“group of people, company; group of armed people; group of criminals; group of cattle”) (modern French route (obsolete)), from Latin rupta (compare Late Latin ruta, rutta (“group of marauders; riot; unlawful assembly”)), the feminine of ruptus (“broken; burst, ruptured”), the .

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)