Rutter Meaning
/ˈɹʌtə/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA horseman or cavalryman, especially a German one, associated with the wars of the 16th and 17th centuries.
nounA set of instructions for navigating a course at sea; a pilot's book or seaman's guide.
Sentence Examples
The rutter provided the navigator with the needed information.
A rutter is an old book containing various sailing directions.
The ship captain consulted an old rutter to navigate the coast.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old captain used a detailed ____ to navigate the dangerous waters of the coral sea.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The navigator consulted the old ____ to find the safest passage through the coastal waters.
Word Origin & History
From Middle Dutch ruter, rutter, variants of ruiter, from Middle French routier (“mercenary soldier”), corresponding to route + ier; see rout.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Such a regiment of rutters / Never defied men braver"
— c. 1611, John Fletcher, The Woman's Prize, Act I, scene iv:
"But a rutter was only as good as the pilot who wrote it, the scribe who hand-copied it, the very rare printer who printed it, or the scholar who translated it."
— 1975, James Clavell, Shōgun, Random House, published 2009, page 13:
"She moved my rutter so that it was not poking into her. We fell asleep."
— 2013, Philipp Meyer, The Son, Simon & Schuster, published 2014, page 321:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old captain used a detailed ____ to navigate the dangerous waters of the coral sea.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The navigator consulted the old ____ to find the safest passage through the coastal waters.