rummage
English
Etymology
Old French arrumage (confer French arrimage), from arrumer (“to arrange the cargo in the hold”) (confer French arrimer and Spanish arrumar).
Pronunciation
Verb
rummage (third-person singular simple present rummages, present participle rummaging, simple past and past participle rummaged)
- (transitive, nautical) To arrange (cargo, goods, etc.) in the hold of a ship; to move or rearrange such goods.
- (transitive, nautical) To search a vessel for smuggled goods.
- After the long voyage, the customs officers rummaged the ship.
- (transitive) to search something which contains many items hastily by carelessly turning things over or pushing things aside.
- She rummaged her purse in search for the keys.
- (transitive) To search something thoroughly and with disregard for the way in which things were arranged
- The burglars rummaged the entire house for cash and jewellery.
- (intransitive) To hastily search for something in a confined space and among many items by carelessly turning things over or pushing things aside.
- She rummaged in the drawers trying to find the missing sock.
Translations
to search something which contains many items
to search something thoroughly and with disregard
to hastily search for
Noun
rummage (plural rummages)
- (obsolete) Commotion; disturbance.
- A thorough search, usually resulting in a disorder.
- An unorganized collection of miscellaneous objects; a jumble.
Quotations
- "And this, I take it,
- Is the main motive of our preparations
- The source of this our watch, and the chief head
- Of this post-haste and rummage in the land." - Horatio, in "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, act 1 scene 1 l 103-106