I. ˈrau̇t noun
Etymology: Middle English route band, company of soldiers, crowd, from Anglo-French rute band, from Vulgar Latin * rupta, from Latin, feminine of ruptus, past participle of rumpere to break — more at reave
Date: 13th century
1. : a crowd of people : throng ; specifically : rabble 2b
2.
a. : disturbance
b. archaic : fuss
3. : a fashionable gathering
II. ˈrōt, ˈrüt intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English rowten, from Old Norse rauta; akin to Old English rēotan to weep, Latin rudere to roar
Date: 14th century
dialect chiefly British : to low loudly : bellow — used of cattle
III. ˈrau̇t verb
Etymology: alteration of root (III)
Date: circa 1564
intransitive verb
1. : to poke around with the snout : root
pigs rout ing in the earth
2. : to search haphazardly
transitive verb
1.
a. archaic : to dig up with the snout
b. : to gouge out or make a furrow in (as wood or metal)
2.
a. : to force out as if by digging — usually used with out
b. : to cause to emerge especially from bed
3. : to come up with : uncover
scouts… rout ing out new talent — Carrie Donovan
IV. ˈrau̇t noun
Etymology: Middle French route defeat, perhaps from mettre en route to set going, put into motion
Date: 1598
1. : a state of wild confusion or disorderly retreat
2.
a. : a disastrous defeat : debacle
b. : a precipitate flight
V. ˈrau̇t transitive verb
Date: circa 1600
1.
a. : to disorganize completely : demoralize
b. : to put to precipitate flight
c. : to defeat decisively or disastrously
the discomfiture of seeing their party rout ed at the polls — A. N. Holcombe
2. : to drive out : dispel