noun · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɹuː.tə(ɹ)/
General-American:/ˈɹaʊ.tɚ/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -uːtə(ɹ)
rhymes with -aʊtə(ɹ)
UK:/ˈɹaʊtə(ɹ)/
US:/ˈɹaʊtɚ/
CMU ARPABET:R UW1 T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:R AW1 T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Someone who routes or directs items from one location to another.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The router directed the movement of the company's trucks.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any device that directs packets of information using the equivalent of Open Systems Interconnection layer 3 (network layer) information. Most commonly used in reference to Internet Protocol routers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A device that connects local area networks to form a larger internet by, at minimum, selectively passing those datagrams having a destination IP address to the network which is able to deliver them to their destination; a network gateway.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet
Examples
The router was configured to forward packets outside of a certain range of IP addresses to its internet uplink port.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
In integrated circuit or printed circuit board design, an algorithm for adding all wires needed to properly connect all of the placed components while obeying all design rules.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract