rut1
¦ noun
1. a long deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles.
2. a routine or pattern of behaviour that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change.
Derivatives
rutted adjective
rutty adjective
Origin
C16: prob. from OFr.
rute (see
route).
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rut2
¦ noun an annual period of sexual activity in deer and some other mammals, during which the males fight each other for access to the females.
¦ verb (ruts, rutting, rutted) engage in such activity.
Derivatives
ruttish adjective
Origin
ME: from OFr., from L. rugitus, from rugire 'to roar'.