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bustle

1
[ buhs-uhl ]
/ ˈbʌs əl /
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See synonyms for: bustle / bustling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), bus·tled, bus·tling.
to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed by about): He bustled about cooking breakfast.
to abound or teem with something; display an abundance of something (often followed by with): The office bustled with people and activity.
verb (used with object), bus·tled, bus·tling.
to cause to bustle; hustle.
noun
thriving or energetic activity; stir; ferment.
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Origin of bustle

1
First recorded in 1615–25; Middle English bustelen “to hurry aimlessly along,” perhaps akin to Old Norse busla “to splash about, bustle”

OTHER WORDS FROM bustle

bus·tler, noun

Other definitions for bustle (2 of 2)

bustle2
[ buhs-uhl ]
/ ˈbʌs əl /

noun
fullness around or below the waist of a dress, as added by a peplum, bows, ruffles, etc.
a pad, cushion, or framework formerly worn under the back of a woman's skirt to expand, support, and display the full cut and drape of a dress.

Origin of bustle

2
First recorded in 1780–90; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM bustle

bustled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bustle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bustle (1 of 2)

bustle1
/ (ˈbʌsəl) /

verb
(when intr , often foll by about) to hurry or cause to hurry with a great show of energy or activity
noun
energetic and noisy activity

Derived forms of bustle

bustler, nounbustling, adjective

Word Origin for bustle

C16: probably from obsolete buskle to make energetic preparation, from dialect busk from Old Norse bƫask to prepare

British Dictionary definitions for bustle (2 of 2)

bustle2
/ (ˈbʌsəl) /

noun
a cushion or a metal or whalebone framework worn by women in the late 19th century at the back below the waist in order to expand the skirt

Word Origin for bustle

C18: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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