roust

1650s, variant of rouse,[1] possibly influenced by rout.

• IPA^(key): /ɹaʊst/

• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -aʊst

roust (third-person singular simple present rousts, present participle rousting, simple past and past participle rousted)

1. (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."

2. (transitive, informal) 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.

3. (transitive, slang) to arrest
4. (transitive) to drive strongly (Can we add an example for this sense?)

• (rout out of bed): bring round, knock up; see also Thesaurus:awaken
• (arrest): collar, nick, pinch

roust (plural rousts)

1. 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

• roost, rost

• Rusto, Stour, Sutor, Tours, routs, stour, sutor, torus, tours

roust

1. Alternative form of rust