route

A route is a course or path used to get from one place to another. It is more exact than simply saying "direction" because it suggests a chosen or known way through roads, paths, stops, or stages. A bus follows a fixed route through a city, an airline has international routes between airports, and a traveler may choose a scenic route instead of the fastest highway. The word is also common for regular patterns of movement, such as a mail route, a delivery route, or a school bus route.

It can also be used in a wider, more figurative way. Someone might talk about a route to success, meaning the steps or choices that lead to a goal. In this use, the word still keeps the basic idea of moving from a starting point toward a result, even when the movement is not physical.

As a verb, to route means to send, direct, or connect something along a particular path. A shipping company can route a package through another city, a phone system can route a call to the right department, and internet equipment can route data across a network. In each case, something is guided along a chosen way. The core idea behind the word is steady and practical: it is the path taken, or the act of sending something along that path.