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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rout, Rowt(e, n.¹ Also: route, routt. [OF route, rote (late 12th c. in Greimas) a military unit on the march, a small group of people, ME and e.m.E. rute, (13th c.), route (c 1275) troop of persons, AF rute, L. rupta, fem. of ruptus broken, p.p. of rumpere.]There is some possible overlapping between the main senses, also within these between certain of the sub-senses.

1. A body of soldiers detached from, or forming as a separate unit within, a larger fighting force; a detachment or contingent (of soldiers); an armed band.In pl. only in Doug., sometimes = the ranks (of any army or part of an army); soldiers, collectively.sing. (1) 1375 Barb. vi 570.
The hund … held ay … Eftre the rowt quhar wes the king Ib. xi 527.
Four [banrentis] … War capitanys of that route ?1438 Alex. i 1965. c1420 Wynt. viii 3492.
The Erle off Murrave … In till that rowt a chefftane was 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 3453.
How that Duke Betis was cummyin with sic a rout a1500 Lanc. 2598.
He come al armyt … And is assemblit ewyne apone a rowt Ib. 2954. 1513 Doug. xvii 163.
The thikast sop or rowt of al the pres … Thys Lawsus … invadys Ib. xi ii 4.
A thousand men … Walyt of euery rowt and cumpany 1533 Boece 158b.
Galdus … send in thare supple ane rowt ȝit vnfochtin 15.. Clar. iii 68.
Ȝe sall capitane be … Unto that rout as knicht of great valoure(2) 1375 Barb. xi 225.
Walter … Come with a rout of noble men 1456 Hay I 166/17.
He assemblit him a grete rout of men of armes 1513 Doug. ix vii 89.
Thoil me to trubbill this gret rowt of men 1535 Stewart 36637.
Of armit men ane rout In gude ordour hes circulit thame aboutpl. 1375 Barb. xii 426.
In-till thai rowtis men mycht se The Inglismen c1420 Wynt. viii 6253.
Than bathe the fyrst rowtis rycht thare At that assemble wencust war 1513 Doug. ii viii 50.
And large on breid our Grekis rowtis dyd fall Ib. x vi 52.
Ene the rowtis of the lauboreris Or rurall husbandis invadis and ourset Ib. xi xii 3.
The Tuscane dukis and horsmen rowtis alhaill Arrayt in batale Ib. xii viii 91.
The man he seirsis throw the effrait rowtis

b. In generalised sense: A fighting force; an army. 1375 Barb. iv 190.
And as … He [sc. Edward I] wes with his gret rowt ridand [etc.] Ib. xv 147. c1420 Wynt. ii 1439.
Swa was skallyd all that rowt c1475 Wall. ix 1342. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1237.
And, quhen the ladie saw the rout, God wait gif scho stude in greit dout c1590 J. Stewart 67/78.
This knycht … Amongs the rout mertchant from place to place

c. Only in early verse: The main body of a fighting force or army. Also the mekill (grete) rout. 1375 Barb. x 184.
Than in hy suld tha … mak debate, quhill that thar rout … Cum for to manteyme the melle Ib. xiii 171.
And till thar gret rout to warand Thai went Ib. xviii 370. c1420 Wynt. viii 3481.
The mast part have thai slayne, Syne to the gret rowt held in hy

d. A confused mêlée of both sides in a battle or fight. c1420 Wynt. iv 1539.
Warro … prewaly owte off the rowte Wytht fyfty men … for dowte Off hys lyff … flede Ib. viii 6312.
Thai war all rycht wadand To fecht in gret rowt hand for hand c1450-2 Howlat 521 (A).
He ruschit in the gret rowte, the knycht to reskewe 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 934.
He was in battall formost in the rout a1500 Lanc. 3401.
Quhen he had departit all the rout He said [etc.] c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1284.
His sword he swappit sa about That he greit roum maid in the rout

e. (To move) in rout(e, in defensive formation (? with vanguard and rearguard), ready to resist attack; in battle order. 1375 Barb. xiii 626.
The lave … till Berwik held straucht thar way In route 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 957.
The king was thus in rout rydand 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 135b.
Na man within burgh dwelland, salbe bound in manrent, nor ryde in [41457 Acts II 50/25 nor (see Rout v.⁴ b)] rout, in feir of weir, with any man

2. A group or troop of persons (usu., ? one assembled in no formal order or arrangement); a company; an assemblage. 1375 Barb. ii 149.
A litill fra Aryk stane The Bruce with a gret rout he met a1400 Leg. S. xvi 219.
Thai … tholyt al that haly rowte In wynd & wedyre ly thare-owt Of thare tempil a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 520.
As the reuerend roy wes reknand vpone raw With the rout of the Round Tabill c1500 Fyve Bestes 343.
Or tak this tovne on hand And brek ȝour word befor this riall rowte 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 789.
Ane heuinlie rout … Of quhome the bountie … Vneith may be intill ane scripture brewit c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 136/53.
Thair lady … Quha was convoyed with ane royall routt Off gryt barrounes and lustie ladyis Ib. 181/11. 1513 Doug. v vi 16.
Than gadderis hym about Of Troianys sammyn and Sycilyanys a rowt Ib. xii 126.
In the hailsum rowtis, furth of baill, I dwel amyd the plane of Elyse

b. sing. and pl. Those assembled together, or those present, on a particular occasion; those already mentioned in a narrative, etc. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 851.
Euerie famous poeit men may deuine, Is in ȝone rout Id. Æn. v xii 21.
Eneas than, and al the rowtis Troianys, … sped thame thiddir atanys Ib. xiii vi 53.
Be this the rowt, as thai instrukkit wer, In full gude rewle … Ar entrit in the Troianys new cite 1540 Lynd. Sat. 117 (B).
War Sollace heir I ȝow asseure He wald reiois this rowt 15.. Clar. i 572.
Of thair cuming blyth was all the rowt 1587 in Fowler I 19/11.
[Petrarch] Who well deserwis first place amangs that rout

c. A company (flock, herd, flight, etc.) of animals or insects. d. A number, or assemblage, of things.c. c1475 Wall. iv 282.
He saw mony rout Off wyld bestis wauerand in wode and playne 1513 Doug. xiii iv 66.
Of emottis the blak rowt Ib. 76.
This litill rowt [of bees] furth sprentisd. 1513 Doug. viii v 53.
The serpent of Lern … of hedis with hir mekil rowt

3. (A person's) attendant company or armed following; a retinue; a train. 1375 Barb. xii 353.
As ane hyrchoune all his rout Gert set owt speris all about c1420 Wynt. viii 5363.
Full hardely Willame of Dowglas and his rowte Schot on thame scharply 1456 Hay I 141/33.
Thare semblys till his rout a company of contree men unchargit, for entencioun to … gader gere and riches anerly a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 307.
Thus the roy and his rout restles thai raid Ithandly ilk day c1475 Wall. x 8. a1500 K. Hart 712.
Lo, quhair he rydis bakwart with his route! 1513 Doug. v iii 8.
Sum [came] to behald Eneas cowrt and rowt Ib. x 29.
For ilk menȝe A capitane walkis rewland al his rowt 1533 Boece 256. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1225.
He wes bot auchtsum in his rout, For of danger he had no dout 15.. Dunb. App. viii 12.
Thre kingis of strenge regionis To thé [sc. Jerusalem] ar cumin with lusty rout 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10731.
Thow hes loist lyfe and land, and all thy royall rout 1567 Sat. P. iii 90.
Quhen Dauie deit our quene … did rais ane ryall rout a1568 Bann. MS 29b/4.
Fra Ruffy Ragmen and his route a1586 Lindsay MS 9b.
Quhan thai ar ischit furth and ilkane retrettit to his baner or pennoun and in his rowt or in the rowt of his ischeour c1590 Fowler I 72/138.
When that wedow … killed him and all his route

4. The majority of people; all other people. 1375 Barb. ix 509.
Schyr Ingrahame … off worschip passyt the rowt c1590 Fowler I 66/220.
The more perfytlie for to vew that band agane and rowt 16.. Sc. Hist. Rev. XVIII 247.
And so heaven may have only the best, men of heroic and generous spirits, choice persons severd from the rout [pr. rouf] — 1494 Loutfut MS 45b.
And he that has maist, that is he that passis rout

b. To reule the rout, to have absolute control or sway. 1570 Sempill Sat. P. xii 76.
Sen double murther markis to reule the rout

5. A crowd; a large number; large numbers.Usu. with some qualifying adj. that implies bulk.(1) 1375 Barb. xviii 10.
The kingis off Irchery That in gret rowtis raid him by a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 516.
In ilke syd thai gadryt owt, To met that sancte, in-to gret rowt 1513 Doug. ii viii 24.
In a thik rowt tharat was mony set 1533 Bell. Livy II 212/7, 16.
Sum of thame enterit with grete rowtis [L. agmine] in the first housis that thai fand; … thai … stude about the merkett and vthir placis approcheand thareto in grete routtis(2) c1475 Wall. v 264.
On hors he lap and throw a gret rout raid 1513 Doug. ii xii 68.
Quhar that I fand assemlyt … So huge a rowt of our folkis Ib. v ii 70.
The prynce Ene … Went to the tumbe amyd the thykkast rout 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 101.
Mary, heir is ane fellone rowt, … quhat gait may I get owt? c1552 Id. Mon. 5785.
With Machomeit sall compeir, but doute, Off Antechristis one hydduous route 15.. Clar. iii 1071.
He ruschit throw [the] rout Of woundit men a1568 Scott i 188.
This ȝeir, within thy regioun, sall aryfe Rowtis of the rankest that in Europ ringis 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Turba, a throng or rowt of people

6. Applied, dyslogistically, to a group regarded as meriting disfavour or contempt. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 155/165.
His baner wes of barkit hyd … Befoir that rebald rowt Ib. 164/127.
Sensyne I curs that cankerit rowte 1528 Lynd. Dreme 216.
Rewland that rowte I sawe, in capis of bras, Symone Magus and byschope Cayphas a1568 Bann. MS 243b/52.
So dois ȝour visage schyne als cleir As rose amang the raschell rowt a1570-86 Maitland? in Maitl. F. 442/54.
Bot … flie & detest The rout of pryd that thairin ringis 1572 Sempill Sat. P. xxx 125.
Ryse and reuenge the Ruthwen on ȝone rout c1590 J. Stewart 68/113.
Bot to declair mair amplie of this rout, … Sum lyncht, sum gleyid, sum haid ane keppand snout

7. In a rout, in a group, in a body; as a unit. 1375 Barb. x 384.
Thai on rawnge in ane route gan ga On handis and fete Ib. xi 591.
With fer mar maturyte Thai assemblyt all in a rout And enweround thaim Ib. xiii 242.
Ȝomen and swanys and pitaill … In a rout [thai] assemblit er ?1438 Alex. i 962.
The knychtis of Grece … Lappit togiddir all in ane rout 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 1612.
Thai … held thame sarre togidder in ane rout … Lyk till ane crag thai all togidder stud Ib. 3534.
Wele mare than [twa and thretty] thousand in a rout a1500 Colk. Sow i 119.
Quhill all the swyn thairabout Ruschit furth in a rout 1513 Doug. i ii 51.
Furth at the ilke port wyndis brade in a rout Ib. vii 32.
Fra thar hyve togyddir in a rowt Expellis the bowbart beist, the faynt drone be 1572 Sat. P. xxxii 25.
We coilȝearis, cadgearis, and carteris, in ane rout 1627 Kellie Pallas Armata 25.
When battles commeth to push of picke … your pickemen must … goe joyntlie on together in a rout without moveing their armes