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route

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noun [countable] American English pronunciation: route /rut, raʊt/ 
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singularroute
pluralroutes
  1. 1
    a way that buses, trains, ships, or airplanes travel regularly

    the West Coast route

    a bus/shipping/trading route

    1. a.
      the roads or paths that you use when you go from one place to another

      It's a good idea to plan your route before you leave.

      route to:

      We took an alternative route to the hotel.

      route from:

      The most direct route from the house to the school is through the center of town.

      take/follow a route:

      The tunnel is the route taken by most drivers.

      the shortest/quickest/most direct route:

      The sea was the most direct route between the two cities.

  2. 2
    a way of doing something that produces a particular result
    route to:

    the route to success/happiness/disaster

    take a route:

    I'll need to think carefully before deciding what route to take next.

  3. 3

    Route

    used with a number as the name of a major road between cities in the U.S.

    We turned off Route 66 onto a remote road.

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