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

What OpenRouter Does That Stripe Wanted To understand why a payments company would pay this price, start with what a model router is. — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Look for Guest Network, IoT Network or Device Isolation in your router's settings. — Jesse Watson , Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

On Thursday, the company received an equipment authorization for the router from the Federal Communications Commission, which a user on Reddit spotted. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

The company supplies data center hardware (think Ethernet switches, routers, and other networking products) to hyperscalers including Microsoft and Meta Platforms . — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 5 Aug. 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