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

These hackers gather to see who can be the first, running against the clock, to successfully hack a variety of targets from smartphones to printers and routers using a zero-day compromise. —Davey Winder, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

And here's a surprise: Your trusty personal computer, smartphone and router won't be getting the Cyber Trust Mark either, at least not yet. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 22 Jan. 2025

To thwart these attacks, a U.S. court authorized the FBI to delete the malware and to disconnect infected routers from a botnet without the owners’ permission. —Adam Segal, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025

Song hooked an external battery to her router and modem and was able to communicate with neighbors who couldn’t check the warnings and orders due to spotty cell service and power outages. —Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 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

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