Definition of "rout"

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

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 44, page 284

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.

1691, column 744

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

1955, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King‎, page 315

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.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 51, page 74

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

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene i], page 127, column 2

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

1662, [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge: University Press, 1905, canto I, page 3

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

1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], page 44, lines 675–677

[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.

1928 February, H[oward] P[hillips] Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”, in Farnsworth Wright, editor, Weird Tales: A Magazine of the Bizarre and Unusual, volume 11, number 2, Indianapolis, Ind.: Popular Fiction Pub. Co., pages 159–178 and 287

For it was clearly in search of her that the rabble rout had come. The dancing nymphs hailed her with joyful giggles, the poodle sprang on her with dusty paws, and then turned a somersault in her honour, and from the driver's box came the twang of a guitar and the familiar wail of: Nita, Juanita, ask thy soul if we must part?

1938, Edith Wharton, chapter IV, in Gaillard [Thomas] Lapsley, editor, The Buccaneers, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton-Century Company, book I, page 43

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.

1783 May, “Domestic Occurrences. [Thursday 8.]”, in Sylvanus Urban [pseudonym; Edward Cave], editor, The Gentleman’s Magazine and Historical Chronicle, volume LIII, London: […] John Nichols, for D. Henry, […], and sold by E[lizabeth] Newbery, […], page 444, column 2

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

1799 January, “An Ode. The Invitation.”, in The Monthly Magazine, or British Register, volume VII, part I, number XLI, London: […] R[ichard] Phillips, […], page 43, column 1

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

1826, Walter Savage Landor, “Conversation IV. Southey and Porson.”, in Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], page 78

The envoys were not often compelled to forego the toilet for the desk, nor the beaux secretaires, to give up their lessons on the guitar for the drudgery of copying dispatches. A "protocol" would have scared the gentle state from its propriety; and the arrival of the Morning Post, once a week from London, with the account of routs in which they had not shared, and the anticipation of dinners and déjeûnés which they were never to enjoy, was the only pain which Diplomacy suffered to raise a ripple on the tranquil surface of its soul.

1832 January, “The Premier and His Wife: A Story of the Great World”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume XXXI, number CLXXXIX, Edinburgh: William Blackwood; London: T[homas] Cadell, […], page 91, column 2

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.

1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Captain Dobbin Proceeds on His Canvass”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, page 194

"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."

1838, Richard Chenevix Trench, “A Walk in a Church-yard”, in Sabbation; Honor Neale; and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], stanza II, page 62

Whereupon the meaner ſort in his Houſe, ſlew him, and diuers of his ſeruants.

1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, page 68

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.

1718, Homer, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “Book XIII”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume IV, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], page 21, lines 390–393

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.

1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], part I, page 211

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.

2018 February 10, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 0 Arsenal”, in BBC Sport‎, archived from the original on 7 November 2020

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

1609, Samuel Daniel, “The Fovrth Booke”, in The Civile Wares betweene the Howses of Lancaster and Yorke […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes for] Simon Watersonne, stanza 56, page 101

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

2022 September 11, Andrew E. Kramer, Andrew Higgins, “Ukraine Routs Russian Forces in Northeast, Forcing a Retreat”, in The New York Times‎

[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, [...]

1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, “Book VIII”, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], volume II, part II, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the Theater, published 1707, page 503

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

1977, Larry Mitchell, “It Takes All Kinds to Make the Revolutions”, in The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions, New York, N.Y.: Nightboat Books, published 2020, part 2 (The Energy of Oppression), page 86

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.

2009 January 30, Adam Entous, “Mitchell Warns of Setbacks ahead in Mideast Talks”, in Reuters‎, archived from the original on 2 February 2009

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

2005, Brian Todd Carey, “Warfare in the Ancient Near East: The Bronze and Early Iron Ages”, in Warfare in the Ancient World, Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military, published 2013, page 18

This myller hath ſo wiſely bybbed ale / That as an horſe he ſnorteth in hys ſlepe / Ne of hys tayle behynde he toke no kepe / His wyfe bare to hym a bordon wel ſtrong / Men might hem here route a forlonge.This miller hath so wisely bibbed ale / That as an horse he snorteth in his sleep / Nor of his tail behind he took no keep / His wife bore to him a burden [phrase or theme recurring in a ballad or folk song at the end of each verse] well strong / Men might him hear rout [snore] a furlong.]

; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, folio xvii, verso, column 2

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!

1761, [Laurence Sterne], chapter XII, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume III, London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley […], page 58

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.

1920, Edith Wharton, chapter XIV, in The Age of Innocence, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, book I, page 122

[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, [...]

1859, “The Merrie Days of England”, in The National Magazine, volume V, London: W. Kent & Co. […], page 154, column 1

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.

1864 July, H. H. B., “The Herds of Great Britain”, in The Farmer’s Magazine, volume XXIV (Third Series; volume LVI overall), number 1, London: Rogerson and Tuxford, […], chapter XLIV (The Butley Abbey, the Playford, and the Wherstead), page 6