router

1 of 3

noun (1)

rout·​er ˈrau̇-tər 

: one that routs: such as

a

: a routing plane

b

: a machine with a revolving vertical spindle and cutter for milling out the surface of wood or metal

router

2 of 3

noun (2)

rout·​er ˈrü-tər 

ˈrau̇-

: one that routes

especially : a device that mediates the transmission routes of data packets over an electronic communications network (such as the Internet)

router

3 of 3

noun (3)

rout·​er ˈrü-tər 

ˈrau̇-

: a horse trained for distance races

Examples of router in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For those with enough knowledge, the Slate 7 is a one very customizable travel router. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025

The Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro is a sleek and easy-to-set-up Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, offering solid performance and great support for smart home devices. —Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 3 June 2025

Cisco’s switches and routers are key pieces of equipment that direct data traffic in and out of networks and around the internet. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 May 2025

Users can also disable remote administration and reboot their routers to cut off this primary access point. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

rout entry 4 + -er entry 2

Noun (2)

route entry 2 + -er entry 2

Noun (3)

route entry 1 (in sense "race of a mile or more") + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1818, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1903, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for router

• neuter
• pewter
• scooter
• shooter
• suitor
• tutor
• commuter
• computer
• polluter
• recruiter
• microcomputer
• minicomputer

Kids Definition

router

1 of 2 noun

rout·​er ˈrau̇t-ər 

: a machine for cutting out the surface of wood or metal

router

2 of 2 noun

rout·​er ˈrüt-ər 

ˈrau̇t-

: one that routes

especially : a device that sends data from one place to another within a computer network or between computer networks