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

"She has connected with everyone individually. We got into a bit of a rut with low confidence and she has just stripped it back and wants the best out of every player. It’s working."

From BBC

Buried were the sins of their predecessors, the failings of past seasons, the rut of postseason humiliation.

From Los Angeles Times

“I fell in with the wrong crowd. I take full responsibility for what I did, I was a big boy, but I fell into a rut,” he said.

From BBC

They have got some good players but they just seem to be in such a rut that I can't see them winning this one either.

From BBC

“It’s hard to get yourself out of a rut with just one play. It really usually doesn’t work like that.”

From Los Angeles Times