roust
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
1650s, variant of rouse,[1] possibly influenced by rout.
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
roust (third-person singular simple present rousts, present participle rousting, simple past and past participle rousted)
- (transitive) to rout out of bed; to rouse
- 1884, Twain, Mark, chapter VII, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
- "Why didn't you roust me out?" / "Well, I tried to, but I couldn't; I couldn't budge you." / "Well, all right. Don't stand there palavering all day, but out with you and see if there's a fish on the lines for breakfast. I'll be along in a minute."
- To harass, to treat in a rough way.
- 1962, Cape Fear, 00:28:45 from the start:
- My client is an ex-convict. He's been constantly harassed by the police... subjected to extreme mental cruelty and public degradation. He's even been denied an adequate place to live! To be very blunt, gentlemen, my client has been thoroughly rousted.
- (transitive, slang) to arrest
- (transitive) to drive strongly
Synonyms[edit]
- (rout out of bed): bring round, knock up; see also Thesaurus:awaken
- (arrest): collar, nick, pinch
Translations[edit]
to rouse
|
to treat in a rough way
|
to arrest
|
Noun[edit]
roust (plural rousts)
- A strong tide or current, especially in a narrow channel.
- 1786, Thomas Gifford, An Historical Description of the Zetland Islands:
- At the north , point of this island , called Ska , goes a very rapid current ; like the Roust of Sumburghead
Synonyms[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “roust”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams[edit]
Middle English[edit]
Noun[edit]
roust
- Alternative form of rust
Categories:
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/aʊst
- Rhymes:English/aʊst/1 syllable
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with quotations
- English slang
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Sleep
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns