bustle
1[ buhs-uhl ]
/ ˈbʌs əl /
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.
QUIZZES
DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
Origin of bustle
11615–25; Middle English bustelen to hurry aimlessly along, perhaps akin to Old Norse busla to splash about, bustle
OTHER WORDS FROM bustle
bustler, nounbus·tling·ly, adverbun·bus·tling, adjectiveDefinition 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
2First recorded in 1780–90; origin uncertain
OTHER WORDS FROM bustle
bustled, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for bustle
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, adjectiveWord 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)
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