What is "rout"

Rout \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 \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 \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 \Rout\, v. i. To search or root in the ground, as a swine.
--Edwards.

Rout \Rout\, v. t. [A variant of root.] To scoop out with a gouge or other tool; to furrow. To rout out

1. To turn up to view, as if by rooting; to discover; to find.

2. To turn out by force or compulsion; as, to rout people out of bed. [Colloq.]

Rout \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\ (rout), v. i. [AS. hr[=u]tan.] To roar; to bellow; to snort; to snore loudly. [Obs. or Scot.]
--Chaucer.

"drive into disordered flight by defeat," c.1600, from rout (n.). Related: Routed; routing.

1590s, "disorderly retreat following a defeat," from Middle French route "disorderly flight of troops," literally "a breaking off, rupture," from Vulgar Latin rupta "a dispersed group," literally "a broken group," from noun use of Latin rupta, fem. past participle of rumpere "to break" (see rupture (n.)).\n

\nThe archaic English noun rout "group of persons, assemblage," is the same word, from Anglo-French rute, Old French route "host, troop, crowd," from Vulgar Latin rupta "a dispersed group," here with sense of "a division, a detachment." It first came to English meaning "group of soldiers" (early 13c.), also "gang of outlaws or rioters, mob" (c.1300) before the more general sense developed 14c. Also as a legal term. A rout-cake (1807) was one baked for use at a reception.

Etymology 1 n. 1 A noise; a loud noise; a bellowing; a shouting; clamor; an uproar; disturbance; tumult. 2 snoring. vb. 1 (context intransitive English) To make a noise; roar; bellow; snort. 2 (context intransitive English) To snore; snore loudly. 3 (context intransitive English) To belch. 4 (context intransitive English) To howl as the wind; make a roaring noise. Etymology 2

n. (context now chiefly dialectal English) A violent movement; a great or violent stir; a heavy blow; a stunning blow; a stroke. vb. (context transitive now chiefly dialectal English) To beat; strike; assail with blows. Etymology 3

n. 1 A troop; a throng; a company; an assembly; especially, a traveling company or throng. 2 A disorderly and tumultuous crowd; a mob; hence, the rabble; the herd of common people. 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. 4 (context legal English) 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. 5 A fashionable assembly, or large evening party. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To defeat completely, forcing into disorderly retreat. 2 (context obsolete intransitive English) To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to collect in company. Etymology 4

vb. 1 To search or root in the ground, as a swine. 2 To scoop out with a gouge or other tool; to furrow. 3 To use a router in woodworking.

1. n. a disorderly crowd of people [syn: mob, rabble]

2. an overwhelming defeat

1. v. cause to flee; "rout out the fighters from their caves" [syn: rout out, expel]

2. dig with the snout; "the pig was rooting for truffles" [syn: root, rootle]

3. make a groove in [syn: gouge]

4. defeat disastrously [syn: spread-eagle, spreadeagle]

Rout is a surname, and may refer to Odia Community.

India (mainly used by the Rauts):

• Padmini Rout (born 1994), Indian chess player

New Zealand:

• Alexandra Rout (born 1993), New Zealand figure skater
• Ettie Annie Rout (1887-1936), New Zealand

A rout is a chaotic and disorderly retreat or withdrawal of troops from a battlefield, resulting in the victory of the opposing party, or following defeat, a collapse of discipline, or poor morale. A key feature of a true rout is that the routing forces abandon equipment, especially weapons.

A routed army often disintegrates into a state of "every man for himself" or as the survivors flee for safety. A rout often results in much higher casualties for the retreating force than an orderly withdrawal. On many occasions, more soldiers are killed in the rout than in the actual battle. Normally, though not always, routs either end a battle or provide the moment the winner needs to win decisively a battle (or even campaign).

The opposite of a rout is a rally, in which a military unit that has been giving way and is on the verge of a rout, suddenly gathers itself and turns back to the offensive. More commonly, the over-matched force retires in good order without losing cohesion as a military unit.

The recommended reaction to an enemy's rout is to launch your reserves, especially reserve cavalry, in a pursuit. A pursuit, which is normally conducted without support on its flanks, is itself a dangerous operation, in the category of "all or nothing", since the pursuing force itself might be cut off and destroyed. Therefore experience and judgment are required to recognize a rout and make the decision to conduct a pursuit.