bustle

1
[ buhs-uhl ]
/ ˈbʌs əl /
SEE 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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Origin of bustle

1
1615–25; 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, adjective

Definition 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. 2020

Words related to bustle

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

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, 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)

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