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rout

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A disorderly crowd or retreat; a decisive defeat—connoting chaos or humiliation, common in martial or historical poetry.

Detailed Definition
“Rout” conveys chaotic flight—armies in rout, thoughts in rout. In poetry, it symbolizes collapse of order. The term’s harshness mirrors disarray. Poets use it to explore failure’s shame or liberation’s chaos, where rout marks end or beginning, reinforcing themes of power, vulnerability, and social flux in narrative and political verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The rout fled before the king’s advance,” in a battle epic; In Shakespeare’s Henry V: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more... / And you, good yeomen, / Whose limbs were made in England, show us here / The mettle of your pasture; let us swear / That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; / For there is none of you so mean and base, / That hath not noble luster in your eyes... / And you, good yeomen, / Whose limbs were made in England, show us here / The mettle of your pasture; let us swear / That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; / For there is none of you so mean and base, / That hath not noble luster in your eyes... / I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, / Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot: / Follow your spirit, and upon this charge / Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’”—implying the rout of enemies; “The rout of dreams scattered at dawn”; “Love’s rout is joy, not shame”; The rout of lies fled before truth’s light.
Additional Notes
“Rout” denotes chaotic flight or mob disorder; in battle poetry, a “routed army” signifies total collapse, while in social satire, a “rout” may describe a vulgar gathering, blending military and class-based connotations of disarray.
Also Known As
defeat stampede channel
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