roust

Etymology

1650s, variant of rouse, possibly influenced by rout.

verb

1. (transitive) to rout out of bed; to rouse
   "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
   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.
2. (transitive, informal) To 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. (transitive, slang) to arrest
4. (transitive) to drive strongly

noun

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