routine

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A set of normal procedures, often performed mechanically.

   Connie was completely robotic and emotionless by age 12; her entire life had become one big routine.

2. 2
   noun

   A set piece of an entertainer's act.

   stand-up comedy routine

3. 3
   adj

   According to established procedure.

   1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London "Morning, inspector," affably remarked the cripple—he had not failed to observe the badge—"rather early for your job, eh? Nothing wrong with our supply up here, I hope, eh?" "Nothing at all, sir," said the inspector. "Just an ordinary routine round. We do them regularly."

4. 4
   adj

   Regular; habitual.

   Pepper's forgiven me in the quiet, hurt way women sometimes forgive. She doesn't cry. She doesn't smile either. She's being routine.

5. 5
   adj

   Ordinary with nothing to distinguish it from all the others.

   Stoke put themselves in a fine position to qualify for the Europa League knockout stage with a routine victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Israel.

6. 6
   adj

   found in the ordinary course of events

7. 7
   noun

   an unvarying or habitual method or procedure

8. 8
   noun

   a set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French routine. By surface analysis, route + -ine. Further from Latin rupta via. Compare typologically travel << Latin tripālium, whence also travail, note the inverse semantic vector from a subjective state (toil) to an objective action (journey). Also compare Czech běžný (< běžet), Russian обихо́д (obixód), обихо́дный (obixódnyj) (akin to ходи́ть (xodítʹ)).