roust

present singular third person rousts · participle present rousting · participle past rousted · past rousted

1. transitiveto rout out of bed; to rouse.

   1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure Yesterday morn at 6:30 they rousted me up & gave me 2 shots in the behind.

   1 more example

   "Why didn't you roust me out?" / "Well, I tried to, but I couldn't; I couldn't budge you." / "Well, all right. Don't stand there palavering all day, but out with you and see if there's a fish on the lines for breakfast. I'll be along in a minute."

   1884, Mark Twain, chapter VII, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

   Synonyms: bring round

2. informaltransitiveTo harass, to treat in a rough way.

   My client is an ex-convict. He's been constantly harassed by the police... subjected to extreme mental cruelty and public degradation. He's even been denied an adequate place to live! To be very blunt, gentlemen, my client has been thoroughly rousted.

   1962, 00:28:45 from the start, in Cape Fear

3. slangtransitiveTo arrest.

   Synonyms: collar, nick, pinch

4. transitiveTo drive strongly.

plural rousts · alternative roost · alternative rost

1. A strong tide or current, especially in a narrow channel.

   At the north point of this island, called Ska, goes a very rapid current; like the Roust of Sumburghead

   1786, Thomas Gifford, An Historical Description of the Zetland Islands