rote

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Usage notes 1.2.1.2 Derived terms 1.2.1.3 See also 1.2.1.4 Translations 1.2.2 Adjective 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.1.1 Translations 1.4 Anagrams 2 French 2.1 Verb 2.2 Anagrams 3 German 3.1 Adjective 4 Norwegian 4.1 Etymology 4.2 Verb 4.2.1 Derived terms 4.2.2 Related terms

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ɹəʊt/, SAMPA: /r@Ut/
• (US) IPA: /roʊt/, SAMPA: /roUt/
• Rhymes: -əʊt

[edit] Etymology 1

From Middle English, origin uncertain. Likely from the phrase bi (“‘by’”) rote (“‘heart’”), c. 1300. Some have proposed a relationship either with Old French rote/rute (“‘route’”), or Latin rota (“‘wheel’”) (see rotary), but the OED calls both suggestions groundless.

[edit] Noun

rote (uncountable)

1. The process of learning or committing something to memory through repetition, in a mechanical way, usually by hearing and repeating aloud, often without full attention to comprehension or thought for the meaning.

   They didn’t have copies of the music for everyone, so most of us had to learn the song by rote.

   • 2009, Jim Holt, Got Poetry?

     But memorize them we did, in big painful chunks, by rote repetition.

2. Mechanical routine; a fixed, habitual, repetitive, or mechanical course of procedure.

   The pastoral scenes from those commercials don’t bear too much resemblance to the rote of daily life on a farm.

[edit] Usage notes

• Commonly found in the phrase "by rote" and in attributive use: "rote learning", "rote memorization", and so on.
• Often used pejoratively in comparison with "deeper" learning that leads to "understanding".

[edit] Derived terms

• rotelike
• rotely

[edit] See also

• muscle memory

[edit] Translations

[edit] Adjective

rote (comparative more rote, superlative most rote)

1. By repetition or practice.
   • 2000, Ami Klin, Fred R. Volkmar, Sara S. Sparrow, Asperger syndrome‎, page 316:

     The former may be seen as a more rote form of learning, contrasting with the latter which appears to include "executive" aspects

[edit] Etymology 2

c. 1600, from Old Norse rót (“‘tossing, pitching (of sea)’”) n., perhaps related to rauta (“‘to roar’”).

[edit] Noun

rote (uncountable)

1. (rare) The roar of the surf; the sound of waves breaking on the shore.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Anagrams

• Anagrams of eort
• tore

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[edit] French

[edit] Verb

rote

1. first-person singular present indicative of roter.
2. third-person singular present indicative of roter.
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of roter.
4. first-person singular present subjunctive of roter.
5. second-person singular imperative of roter.

[edit] Anagrams

• Anagrams of eort
• ôter
• tore

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[edit] German

[edit] Adjective

rote

1. Inflected form of rot.

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[edit] Norwegian

[edit] Etymology

From Old Norse róta.

[edit] Verb

rote (present tense roter; past tense rota/rotet; past participle rota/rotet; present participle rotende; imperative rot)

1. to untidy, to make a mess
2. (slang) to fool around (engage in casual or flirtatious sexual acts)

[edit] Derived terms

• rotet (or rotete)
• rotehue
• rotekopp

[edit] Related terms

• rot