rout

A group of people; a crowd, a throng, a troop; in particular (archaic), a group of people accompanying or travelling with someone.

A route of people there aſſembled were, / Of euery ſort and nation vnder skye, [...]

The Incorporations this year did moſtly conſiſt of Cantabrigians who had lately come to this University for preferment from the Viſitors, when the great rout of Royalliſts were by then made in this University.

A group of animals, especially one which is lively or unruly, or made up of wild animals such as wolves; a flock, a herd, a pack.

A group of disorganized things.

A group of (often violent) criminals or gangsters; such people as a class; (more generally) a disorderly and tumultuous crowd, a mob; hence (archaic, preceded by the), the common people as a group, the rabble.

Beſides the endleſſe routs of wretched thralles, / VVhich thether were aſſembled day by day, / From all the world after their wofull falles, / Through wicked pride, and waſted welthes decay.

The Ring-leader and Head of all this Rout, / Haue practis'd dangerouſly againſt your State, / Dealing with Witches and with Coniurers, [...]

A fashionable assembly; a large evening party, a soirée.

The Ducheſs or Marlborough had one of the grandeſt routs that has been given for ſome time, almoſt the whole of the firſt people of rank and faſhion in England being preſent. This being a new birth to conviviality in Marlborough Houſe, and the firſt rout for theſe ſeven laſt years, it was uncommonly crouded.

Come then, ſweet ſpring's delights to taſte; / No longer, my Maria, waſte / Thoſe hours in routs and noiſe, [...]

To assemble in a crowd, whether orderly or disorderly; to collect in company.

Whereupon the meaner ſort [of people] routed together, and ſuddenly aſſayling the Earle [i.e., Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland] in his Houſe, ſlew him, and diuers of his ſeruants.

The act of completely defeating an army or other enemy force, causing it to retreat in a disorganized manner; (by extension) in politics, sport, etc.: a convincing defeat; a thrashing, a trouncing.

The rout of the enemy was complete.

The visiting football team was put to rout.

The retreat of an enemy force, etc., in this manner; also (archaic, rare), the army, enemy force, etc., so retreating.

[T]hy Army preſently, / (As if they could not ſtand, when thou wert downe) / Diſperſt in rout, betooke them all to flie: [...]

And the authorities in Moscow presented the rout in the northeast as a planned “regrouping.”