Rout
/raʊt/noun
A disorderly retreat or a decisive defeat; also a noisy, disorderly crowd.
Did you know?In older English, a rout was not just a defeat but a loud, unruly mob, and the word’s history is tangled with ideas of shattering, breaking, and being driven off.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reue-
“to break, tear apart, or violently drive away”
Latin
Latin
rumpere
“to break, burst, or shatter”
Old French
Old French
route
“a band, troop, or company; also a broken or defeated group”
Middle English
English
rout
“a noisy crowd, a disorderly company, or a defeated force”
Modern English
English
rout
“a disorderly retreat or decisive defeat; also a noisy crowd”