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rummage

verb
/ˈɹʌm.ɪd͡ʒ/UK

Etymology

From Middle English ronage, from Old French arrumage (compare French arrimage), from arrumer (“to arrange the cargo in the hold”) (compare French arrimer and Spanish arrumar).

  1. inherited from ronage

Definitions

  1. To arrange (cargo, goods, etc.) in the hold of a ship

    To arrange (cargo, goods, etc.) in the hold of a ship; to move or rearrange such goods.

  2. To search a vessel for smuggled goods.

    • After the long voyage, the customs officers rummaged the ship.

  3. To search something thoroughly and with disregard for the way in which things were…

    To search something thoroughly and with disregard for the way in which things were arranged.

    • She rummaged her purse in search of the keys.
    • The burglars rummaged the entire house for cash and jewellery.
    • He[…]searcheth his pockets, and taketh his keys, and so rummageth all his closets and trunks.
  4. ›+ 7 more definitions

    1. To hastily search for something in a confined space and among many items by carelessly…

      To hastily search for something in a confined space and among many items by carelessly turning things over or pushing things aside; dig through carelessly.

      • She rummaged in the drawers trying to find the missing sock.
      • Philander went into the next room[…]and came back with a salt mackerel that dripped brine like a rainstorm. Then he put the coffee pot on the stove and rummaged out a loaf of dry bread and some hardtack.

    2. A thorough search, usually resulting in disorder.

      • Have a rummage through the attic and see if you can find anything worth selling.
      • He has made such a general rummage and reform in the office of matrimony.

    3. Commotion

      Commotion; disturbance.

    4. A disorganized collection of miscellaneous objects

      A disorganized collection of miscellaneous objects; a jumble.

    5. A place or room for the stowage of cargo in a ship.

    6. The act of stowing cargo

      The act of stowing cargo; the pulling and moving about of packages incident to close stowage.

    7. A surname from German.

The neighborhood

Derived

rummager, rummagy, unrummaged, rummage squad

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for rummage. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA