Dictionary Definition
rummage
Noun
1 a jumble of things to be given away
2 a thorough search for something (often causing
disorder or confusion); "he gave the attic a good rummage but
couldn't find his skis" [syn: ransacking] v : search
haphazardly; "We rummaged through the drawers"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
Old French arrumage (confer French arrimage), from arrumer (confer French arrimer), "to arrange the cargo in the hold". Confer Spanish arrumar.Pronunciation
Verb
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Finnish: penkoa
- German: durchwühlen
to search something thoroughly and with
disregard
- German: durchwühlen
Noun
rummage- (obsolete) commotion; disturbance
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
- Is the main motive of our preparations
- "And this, I take it,
See also
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
beat,
comb, conglomeration, disarrange, disarray, discompose, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, domiciliary visit,
dragnet, examine, exploration, forage, frisk, hash, hotchpotch, house-search,
hunt, hunting, jumble, jungle, litter, look all over, look
everywhere, look through, mash, mess up, miscellanea, miscellany, mishmash, mix up, muddle, odds and ends, patchwork, perquisition, poke, posse, potpourri, probe, quest, rake, ransack, ransacking, rifle, scour, scrabble, scramble, scrounge, search, search high heaven,
search party, search warrant, search-and-destroy operation,
searching, shake, shake down, stalk, stalking, still hunt, toss, tumble, turn inside out, turn
upside down, turning over