Of Human Bondage - 12/27/03 05:28 PM
It was many years before I learned that Somerset Maugham was a physician.And many more before I learned that he was
allegedly not "straight". I thought it worth re-reading this to see if I can find any interesting words in it.
"rout"
"IT was a week later. Philip was sitting on the floor in the drawing-room at Miss Watkin's house in Onslow gardens. He was an only child and used to amusing himself. The room was filled with massive furniture, and on each of the sofas were three big cushions. There was a cushion too in each arm-chair. All these he had taken and, with the help of the gilt rout chairs, light and easy to move, had made an elaborate cave in which he could hide himself from the Red Indians who were lurking behind the curtains. He put his ear to the floor and listened to the herd of buffaloes that raced across the prairie. Presently, hearing the door open, he held his breath so that he might not be discovered; but a violent hand piled away a chair and the cushions fell down."
I can't find any of the definition below that seems to fit.
I suppose "wicker" might be close.
\Rout\ (rout), v. i. [AS. hr[=u]tan.]
To roar; to bellow; to snort; to snore loudly. [Obs. or
Scot.] --Chaucer.
\Rout\, n.
A bellowing; a shouting; noise; clamor; uproar; disturbance;
tumult. --Shak.
This new book the whole world makes such a rout about.
--Sterne.
``My child, it is not well,'' I said, ``Among the
graves to shout; To laugh and play among the dead, And
make this noisy rout.'' --Trench.
\Rout\, v. t. [A variant of root.]
To scoop out with a gouge or other tool; to furrow.
{To rout out}
(a) To turn up to view, as if by rooting; to discover; to
find.
(b) To turn out by force or compulsion; as, to rout people
out of bed. [Colloq.]
\Rout\, v. i.
To search or root in the ground, as a swine. --Edwards.
\Rout\, n. [OF. route, LL. rupta, properly, a breaking, fr.
L. ruptus, p. p. of rumpere to break. See {Rupture}, {reave},
and cf. {Rote} repetition of forms, {Route}. In some senses
this word has been confused with rout a bellowing, an
uproar.] [Formerly spelled also {route}.]
1. A troop; a throng; a company; an assembly; especially, a
traveling company or throng. [Obs.] ``A route of ratones
[rats].'' --Piers Plowman. ``A great solemn route.''
--Chaucer.
And ever he rode the hinderest of the route.
--Chaucer.
A rout of people there assembled were. --Spenser.
2. A disorderly and tumultuous crowd; a mob; hence, the
rabble; the herd of common people.
the endless routs of wretched thralls. --Spenser.
The ringleader and head of all this rout. --Shak.
Nor do I name of men the common rout. --Milton.
3. The state of being disorganized and thrown into confusion;
-- said especially of an army defeated, broken in pieces,
and put to flight in disorder or panic; also, the act of
defeating and breaking up an army; as, the rout of the
enemy was complete.
thy army . . . Dispersed in rout, betook them all to
fly. --Daniel.
To these giad conquest, murderous rout to those.
--pope.
4. (Law) A disturbance of the peace by persons assembled
together with intent to do a thing which, if executed,
would make them rioters, and actually making a motion
toward the executing thereof. --Wharton.
5. A fashionable assembly, or large evening party. ``At routs
and dances.'' --Landor.
{To put to rout}, to defeat and throw into confusion; to
overthrow and put to flight.
\Rout\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Routed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Routing}.]
To break the ranks of, as troops, and put them to flight in
disorder; to put to rout.
That party . . . that charged the Scots, so totally
routed and defeated their whole army, that they fied.
--Clarendon.
Syn: To defeat; discomfit; overpower; overthrow.
\Rout\, v. i.
To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to
collect in company. [obs.] --Bacon.
In all that land no Christian[s] durste route.
--Chaucer.
allegedly not "straight". I thought it worth re-reading this to see if I can find any interesting words in it.
"rout"
"IT was a week later. Philip was sitting on the floor in the drawing-room at Miss Watkin's house in Onslow gardens. He was an only child and used to amusing himself. The room was filled with massive furniture, and on each of the sofas were three big cushions. There was a cushion too in each arm-chair. All these he had taken and, with the help of the gilt rout chairs, light and easy to move, had made an elaborate cave in which he could hide himself from the Red Indians who were lurking behind the curtains. He put his ear to the floor and listened to the herd of buffaloes that raced across the prairie. Presently, hearing the door open, he held his breath so that he might not be discovered; but a violent hand piled away a chair and the cushions fell down."
I can't find any of the definition below that seems to fit.
I suppose "wicker" might be close.
\Rout\ (rout), v. i. [AS. hr[=u]tan.]
To roar; to bellow; to snort; to snore loudly. [Obs. or
Scot.] --Chaucer.
\Rout\, n.
A bellowing; a shouting; noise; clamor; uproar; disturbance;
tumult. --Shak.
This new book the whole world makes such a rout about.
--Sterne.
``My child, it is not well,'' I said, ``Among the
graves to shout; To laugh and play among the dead, And
make this noisy rout.'' --Trench.
\Rout\, v. t. [A variant of root.]
To scoop out with a gouge or other tool; to furrow.
{To rout out}
(a) To turn up to view, as if by rooting; to discover; to
find.
(b) To turn out by force or compulsion; as, to rout people
out of bed. [Colloq.]
\Rout\, v. i.
To search or root in the ground, as a swine. --Edwards.
\Rout\, n. [OF. route, LL. rupta, properly, a breaking, fr.
L. ruptus, p. p. of rumpere to break. See {Rupture}, {reave},
and cf. {Rote} repetition of forms, {Route}. In some senses
this word has been confused with rout a bellowing, an
uproar.] [Formerly spelled also {route}.]
1. A troop; a throng; a company; an assembly; especially, a
traveling company or throng. [Obs.] ``A route of ratones
[rats].'' --Piers Plowman. ``A great solemn route.''
--Chaucer.
And ever he rode the hinderest of the route.
--Chaucer.
A rout of people there assembled were. --Spenser.
2. A disorderly and tumultuous crowd; a mob; hence, the
rabble; the herd of common people.
the endless routs of wretched thralls. --Spenser.
The ringleader and head of all this rout. --Shak.
Nor do I name of men the common rout. --Milton.
3. The state of being disorganized and thrown into confusion;
-- said especially of an army defeated, broken in pieces,
and put to flight in disorder or panic; also, the act of
defeating and breaking up an army; as, the rout of the
enemy was complete.
thy army . . . Dispersed in rout, betook them all to
fly. --Daniel.
To these giad conquest, murderous rout to those.
--pope.
4. (Law) A disturbance of the peace by persons assembled
together with intent to do a thing which, if executed,
would make them rioters, and actually making a motion
toward the executing thereof. --Wharton.
5. A fashionable assembly, or large evening party. ``At routs
and dances.'' --Landor.
{To put to rout}, to defeat and throw into confusion; to
overthrow and put to flight.
\Rout\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Routed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Routing}.]
To break the ranks of, as troops, and put them to flight in
disorder; to put to rout.
That party . . . that charged the Scots, so totally
routed and defeated their whole army, that they fied.
--Clarendon.
Syn: To defeat; discomfit; overpower; overthrow.
\Rout\, v. i.
To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to
collect in company. [obs.] --Bacon.
In all that land no Christian[s] durste route.
--Chaucer.