rut /rʌt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-2: Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Perhaps from Old French route ; ⇨ ↑ route 1 ]
[ Sense 3: Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: 'loud sound made by a deer' , from Latin rugire 'to roar' ]
1 . [countable] a deep narrow track left in soft ground by a wheel
2 . in a rut living or working in a situation that never changes, so that you feel bored:
I was stuck in a rut and decided to look for a new job.
3 . [uncountable] ( also the rut ) technical the period of the year when some male animals, especially ↑ deer , are sexually active
in rut
a stag in rut
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THESAURUS
■ on the ground/on the surface of something
▪ line a long thin mark on a piece of paper, the ground, or another surface:
The teacher put a red line through the first sentence.
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If the ball goes over the line, it’s out of play.
▪ groove a thin line that has been cut into a surface:
Deep grooves had been cut into the stone to channel the water.
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Lyle ran his fingernail along the groove in the table.
▪ rut a deep line in the ground which has been made by the wheels of vehicles:
The deep ruts made by the trucks were full of water.
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The tractor’s wheels caught a rut in the field and jolted him.
▪ crease/wrinkle a line on clothes, material, or paper where it has been folded or crushed:
She was trying to smooth out the creases in her dress.
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She had wrinkles in her skirt where she had sat.