rut

¹

[ ruht ]

noun

1. a furrow or track in the ground, especially one made by the passage of a vehicle or vehicles.
2. any furrow, groove, etc.
3. a fixed or established mode of procedure or course of life, usually dull or unpromising:

   to fall into a rut.

verb (used with object)

, rut·ted, rut·ting.

1. to make a rut or ruts in; furrow.

rut

²

[ ruht ]

noun

1. the periodically recurring sexual excitement of the deer, goat, sheep, etc.

verb (used without object)

, rut·ted, rut·ting.

1. to be in the condition of rut.

rut

¹

/ rʌt /

noun

1. a recurrent period of sexual excitement and reproductive activity in certain male ruminants, such as the deer, that corresponds to the period of oestrus in females
2. another name for oestrus

verb

1. intr (of male ruminants) to be in a period of sexual excitement and activity

rut

²

/ rʌt /

noun

1. a groove or furrow in a soft road, caused by wheels
2. any deep mark, hole, or groove
3. a narrow or predictable way of life, set of attitudes, etc; dreary or undeviating routine (esp in the phrase in a rut )

verb

1. tr to make a rut or ruts in

Word History and Origins

Origin of rut¹

First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps variant of route

Origin of rut²

1375–1425; late Middle English rutte < Middle French rut, ruit < Late Latin rugītus a roaring, equivalent to Latin rugī ( re ) to roar + -tus suffix of v. action

Word History and Origins

Origin of rut¹

C15: from Old French rut noise, roar, from Latin rugītus , from rugīre to roar

Origin of rut²

C16: probably from French route road

Idioms and Phrases

see in a rut .

Example Sentences

Hunting during the elk rut is a uniquely powerful experience.

From Outside Online

“People tend to get into negative ruts, and frankly, depression and anxiety,” Park says.

From Ozy

Hydraulic shock absorbers provide up to two feet of travel, letting this beast absorb the impact of everything from small ruts to basketball-size rocks.

From Popular-Science

The following week, my partner and I spent two days driving technical backcountry roads marked with washboards, rock gardens, and giant ruts.

From Outside Online

If you travel lots of rutted up trails, this wider profile will often help keep your wheels from slipping fully into ruts, and keep you from getting stuck as easily.

From Popular-Science

Some bison die during the violence of the rut in August; there is intense competition by bears for these rare summer carcasses.

From The Daily Beast

Your chef is stuck in a creative rut, churning out lackluster food in a lackluster—albeit popular—restaurant.

From The Daily Beast

Have you ever fallen into a similar creative rut where you needed to be reinvigorated?

From The Daily Beast

It's no secret that the industry is stuck in a bit of a rut.

From The Daily Beast

I saw every crook in the fence, every rut in the road, every bush and tree long before we came to it.

From Project Gutenberg

They had been in a rut long enough, and they laughed at the Colonel's formula, which nearly every child knew by heart.

From Project Gutenberg

Lamb said to himself, "That dope goes around in a rut and I'll get in one too just following him and then I will get sore."

From Project Gutenberg

He soon has his whip in hand again and now he is hauling his team of six, the six big carthorses of his dreams, out of that rut.

From Project Gutenberg

The simplest thing is for me to throw up the job and let the Short Line drop back into the old rut.

From Project Gutenberg