definitions

bustle

1
[ buhs-uhl ]
/ ˈbʌs əl /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bustle 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; teem (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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RELATED WORDS

tumult, hubbub, commotion, hum, scurry, flit, pother, turmoil, to-do, fuss, do, agitation, whirlwind, excitement, whirl, flurry, haste, rumpus, furor, ado

Nearby words

buster, buster brown collar, buster collar, busticate, bustier, bustle, bustle pipe, bustline, busto arsizio, busty, busulfan

Origin of bustle

1
1615–25; Middle English bustelen to hurry aimlessly along, perhaps akin to Old Norse busla to splash about, bustle
Related formsbus·tler, nounbus·tling·ly, adverbun·bus·tling, adjective

Definition for bustle (2 of 2)

bustle

2
[ buhs-uh l ]
/ 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
Related formsbus·tled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bustle

British Dictionary definitions for bustle (1 of 2)

bustle

1
/ (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 Formsbustler, nounbustling, adjective

Word Origin for bustle

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

British Dictionary definitions for bustle (2 of 2)

bustle

2
/ (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