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

Amazon also received an exemption for future routers for the company’s Starlink challenger, Leo. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026

If your router supports automatic updates, turn that on. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Netgear became the first major vendor of consumer routers to obtain an exemption last week. —ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026

This can be done physically, such as separating operational technology from administrative systems, or digitally using tools that enable virtual segmentation through routers or firewalls. —Danny Jenkins, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 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