rout

noun

1. (countable, obsolete)A group of people; a crowd, a throng, a troop; in particular (archaic), a group of people accompanying or travelling with someone.

   “A route of people there aſſembled were, / Of euery ſort and nation vnder skye, [...]”

   “The Incorporations this year did moſtly conſiſt of Cantabrigians who had lately come to this University for preferment from the Viſitors, when the great rout of Royalliſts were by then made in this University.”

   “'Is there anyone in this rout with authority to treat with me?' he asked.”

2. (archaic, countable)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. (countable)A group of disorganized things.
4. (countable)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.

   “Beſides the endleſſe routs of wretched thralles, / VVhich thether were aſſembled day by day, / From all the world after their wofull falles, / Through wicked pride, and waſted welthes decay.”

   “The Ring-leader and Head of all this Rout, / Haue practis'd dangerouſly againſt your State, / Dealing with Witches and with Coniurers, [...]”

   “When Gospel-Trumpeter surrounded, / With long-ear'd rout to Battel sounded, / And Pulpit, Drum Ecclesiastick, / Was beat with fist, instead of a stick:”

   “Nor do I name of men the common rout, / That wandring looſe about / Grow up and periſh, as the ſummer flie, [...]”

   “[A]lthough there must have been nearly a hundred mongrel celebrants in the throng, the police relied on their firearms and plunged determinedly into the nauseous rout.”

5. (countable, dated)A fashionable assembly; a large evening party, a soirée.

   “The Ducheſs or Marlborough had one of the grandeſt routs that has been given for ſome time, almoſt the whole of the firſt people of rank and faſhion in England being preſent. This being a new birth to conviviality in Marlborough Houſe, and the firſt rout for theſe ſeven laſt years, it was uncommonly crouded.”

   “Come then, ſweet ſpring's delights to taſte; / No longer, my Maria, waſte / Thoſe hours in routs and noiſe, [...]”

   “The ancients have always been opposed to them; just as, at routs and dances, elderly beauties to younger.”

   “By a little inquiry regarding his mother's engagements, he was pretty soon able to find out by whom of her ladyship's friends parties were given at that season; where he would be likely to meet Osborne's sisters; and, though he had that abhorrence of routs and evening parties which many sensible men, alas, entertain, he soon found one where the Miss Osbornes were to be present.”

6. (archaic, countable)A noisy disturbance; also, a disorderly argument or fight, a brawl; (uncountable) disturbance of the peace, commotion, tumult.

   “"Nay, child! it is not well," I said, / "Among the graves to shout; / To laugh and play among the dead, / And make this noisy rout."”

7. (countable, historical)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.
8. 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.

   “The rout of the enemy was complete.”

   “The visiting football team was put to rout.”

   “From Thrace they fly, call'd to the dire Alarms / Of warring Phlegyans, and Emphyrian Arms; / Invok'd by both, relentleſs they diſpoſe / To theſe, glad Conqueſt, murd'rous Rout to thoſe.”

   “His position had come to him—why? Perhaps because he was never ill… He had served three terms of three years out there… Because triumphant health in the general rout of constitutions is a kind of power in itself.”

   “It was only the outstanding [Petr] Cech that stood between Arsenal and a second-half rout as Spurs simply swamped their opponents after the break with a formidable display of power, pace and sheer intensity.”

9. (also, figuratively)The retreat of an enemy force, etc., in this manner; also (archaic, rare), the army, enemy force, etc., so retreating.

   “[T]hy Army preſently, / (As if they could not ſtand, when thou wert downe) / Diſperſt in rout, betooke them all to flie: [...]”

   “And the authorities in Moscow presented the rout in the northeast as a planned “regrouping.””

   “Small contingents of Russian troops across the country have tried to train the Syrian army into a more professional force (the rout in Aleppo suggests those efforts have gone poorly).”

10. (Scotland)A loud, resounding noise, especially one made by the sea, thunder, wind, etc.; a roar.
11. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland)A lowing or mooing sound by an animal, especially cattle; a bellow, a moo.
12. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland)A loud shout; a bellow, a roar; also, an instance of loud and continued exclamation or shouting; a clamour, an outcry.

    “And what of this new book the whole world makes ſuch a rout about?—Oh! 'tis out of all plumb, my Lord,—quite an irregular thing!”

13. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, archaic)A violent movement; a heavy or stunning blow or stroke.
14. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, obsolete)The brant or brent goose (Branta bernicla).

verb

1. (intransitive, obsolete)To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to collect in company.

   “Whereupon the meaner ſort [of people] routed together, and ſuddenly aſſayling the Earle [i.e., Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland] in his Houſe, ſlew him, and diuers of his ſeruants.”

2. (transitive)To completely defeat and force into disorderly retreat (an enemy force, opponent in sport, etc.).

   “[T]hat Party of the King's Horſe which Charged the Scots, ſo totally Routed and defeated their whole Army, that they fled all ways for many Miles together, and were knock'd on the head, and taken Priſoners by the Country, [...]”

   “They write with eloquence against the men, using the men’s own language to embarrass them and sometimes even to rout them.”

   “Israel tightened its blockade of the Gaza Strip after Hamas routed secular Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and seized control of the enclave in June 2007.”

3. (archaic, intransitive)To retreat from a confrontation in disorder.

   “The Ra division broke in panic and fled up against the just-arriving Amon division, which as a result began to rout as well.”

4. (England, intransitive, regional)To snore, especially loudly.
5. (England, intransitive, regional)To make a noise; to bellow, to roar, to snort.
6. (Scotland, archaic, intransitive)Especially of the sea, thunder, wind, etc.: to make a loud roaring noise; to howl, to roar, to rumble.
7. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, transitive)Of a person: to say or shout (something) loudly.
8. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, intransitive)Of a person: to speak loudly; to bellow, roar, to shout.
9. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, intransitive)Of an animal, especially cattle: to low or moo loudly; to bellow.
10. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, transitive)To dig or plough (earth or the ground); to till.
11. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, transitive)Usually followed by out or up: of a person: to search for and find (something); also (transitive) to completely empty or clear out (something).
12. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, US, transitive)Usually followed by from: to compel (someone) to leave a place; specifically (usually followed by out or up), to cause (someone) to get out of bed.

    “Nevertheless, he was always stimulated by Winsett, and whenever he caught sight of the journalist's lean bearded face and melancholy eyes he would rout him out of his corner and carry him off for a long talk.”

13. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, ambitransitive)Of an animal, especially a pig: to search (for something) in the ground with the snout; to root.

    “[L]et us try to realise a party of people arriving before daybreak, on a cold mizzly morning, at a sloppy piece of grassland, routed up by vagrant pigs, and poached into holes by horses out for their Sunday holiday, [...]”

    “Here was Christmas with some Shorthorns, a black sow of Black Diamond blood, and one of the very best of the day, busily routing by the brook side, and a two-year-old cross between a blood horse and a Suffolk mare.”

14. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, ambitransitive)To use a gouge, router, or other tool to scoop out material (from a metallic, wooden, etc., surface), forming a groove or recess.
15. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, intransitive)Of a person: to search through belongings, a place, etc.; to rummage.
16. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, transitive)Usually followed by out or up: to dig or pull up (a plant) by the roots; to extirpate, to uproot.
17. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, figuratively, transitive)Usually followed by out: to find and eradicate (something harmful or undesirable); to root out.
18. (Northern-England, Northern-Ireland, Scotland, ambitransitive, archaic)To beat or strike (someone or something); to assail (someone or something) with blows.