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 years, American policymakers treated Huawei and ZTE routers as cheap, harmless hardware. —Noosheen Hashemi, Time, 26 Jan. 2026

Hours before the killings, the internet was shut off at the home to relocate its Wi-Fi router from Bushey’s bedroom to his mother’s room, which Pirrello said prompted Bushey to angrily confront an AT&T technician at the house. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026

The report urges officials to address electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure stemming from the widespread use of cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, cell towers and wearable, such as smartwatches. —Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026

These enable the router to be set up for almost any networking scenario. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026

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