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.
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 , 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. i. To search or root in the ground, as a swine. Edwards.
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 , 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 (rout), v. i. [AS.
hrūtan.]
To
roar; to bellow; to snort; to snore loudly. [Obs. or Scot.] Chaucer.
Hear it pronounced