noun / verb
rout
ROUT/raʊt/
A complete defeat that drives the losing side into disorderly retreat.
The defeated army’s scattered retreat becomes a rout.
Etymology
The root meaning 'break' underlies the image of a broken or dispersed group. In the military sense, the defeated troops break apart into disorderly retreat.
In context
hurls a weak Detachment against a powerful one and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank the result must be rout these are six ways of courting defeat
More examples
- The home team routed its opponent in the final.
- The defenders suffered a complete rout.
- A sudden attack routed the exhausted force.
Forms
rout · routs · routed · routing
Similar words
- defeat
- Defeat is any loss; rout stresses overwhelming defeat and disordered retreat.
- drubbing
- A drubbing is a severe defeat, often in sport; rout also evokes the losers being scattered.