Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Rote \Rote\, n. [Cf. {Rut} roaring.]
   The noise produced by the surf of the sea dashing upon the
   shore. See {Rut}.

Rote \Rote\, n. [OF. rote, F. route, road, path. See {Route},
   and cf. {Rut} a furrow, {Routine}.]
   A frequent repetition of forms of speech without attention to
   the meaning; mere repetition; as, to learn rules by rote.
   --Swift.

         till he the first verse could [i. e., knew] all by
         rote.                                    --Chaucer.

         Thy love did read by rote, and could not spell. --Shak.

Rote \Rote\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Roted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Roting}.]
   To learn or repeat by rote. [Obs.] --Shak.

Rote \Rote\, n.
   A root. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Rote \Rote\, n. [OE. rote, probably of German origin; cf. MHG.
   rotte, OHG. rota, hrota, LL. chrotta. Cf. {Crowd} a kind of
   violin.] (Mus.)
   A kind of guitar, the notes of which were produced by a small
   wheel or wheel-like arrangement; an instrument similar to the
   hurdy-gurdy.

         Well could he sing and play on a rote.   --Chaucer.

         extracting mistuned dirges from their harps, crowds,
         and rotes.                               --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.

Rote \Rote\, v. i.
   To go out by rotation or succession; to rotate. [Obs.]

Source : WordNet®

rote
     n : memorization by repetition [syn: {rote learning}]