rumbling
[ruhm-bling]
- Often rumblings. the first signs of dissatisfaction or grievance.
- rumble(def 7).
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Origin of rumbling
rumble
[ruhm-buh l]
- to make a deep, heavy, somewhat muffled, continuous sound, as thunder.
- to move or travel with such a sound: The train rumbled on.
- Slang. to have or take part in a street fight between or among teenage gangs: Rival gangs rumbled on Saturday afternoon.
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- to give forth or utter with a rumbling sound: to rumble a command.
- to cause to make or move with a rumbling sound: to rumble a wagon over the ground.
- to subject to the action of a rumble or tumbling box, as for the purpose of polishing.
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- a deep, heavy, somewhat muffled, continuous sound: the rumble of tanks across a bridge.
- rumble seat.
- a rear part of a carriage containing seating accommodations, as for servants, or space for baggage.
- a tumbling box.
- Slang. a street fight between rival teenage gangs.
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Origin of rumble
1325–75; 1940–45 for def 3; (v.) Middle English romblen, rumblen; compare Dutch rommelen, probably of imitative orig.; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the v.
Synonyms
See more synonyms for rumble on Thesaurus.com1. roar, thunder, roll, boom.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for rumbling
Contemporary Examples
At the beginning there is a rumbling sound that seems to be feedback.
They were rumbling past the square on their way back to their college when Pineda is said to have given her order.
School-age children with rumbling tummies move their styrofoam trays in an orderly lunch line.
Pizza Hut Middle East hopes to keep your stomach from rumbling with “Kit Kat Pops”, aka Kit Kat candy bars wrapped in pizza dough.
“Awful Sound” begins in a minor key, with a clackety, rumbling beat.
Historical Examples
In the next room the voices of the four were a steady, rumbling murmur.
Way of the LawlessMax Brand
The thunder was not loud, but it kept up a continuous muttering and rumbling.
The Rock of ChickamaugaJoseph A. Altsheler
The train was rumbling slowly along, the night darkening down.
The First ViolinJessie Fothergill
All one spring-time their love thus filled Goujet with the rumbling of a storm.
L'AssommoirEmile Zola
Rumbling in his ears was the sound of the blast that had overwhelmed him.
rumble
- to make or cause to make a deep resonant soundthunder rumbled in the sky
- to move with such a soundthe train rumbled along
- (tr) to utter with a rumbling soundhe rumbled an order
- (tr) to tumble (metal components, gemstones, etc) in a barrel of smooth stone in order to polish them
- (tr) British informal to find out about (someone or something); discover (something)the police rumbled their plans
- (intr) US slang to be involved in a gang fight
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- a deep resonant sound
- a widespread murmur of discontent
- another name for tumbler (def. 4)
- US, Canadian and NZ slang a gang fight
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Word Origin
C14: perhaps from Middle Dutch rummelen; related to German rummeln, rumpeln
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
Word Origin and History for rumbling
rumble
v.
late 14c., "make a deep, heavy, continuous sound," also "move with a rolling, thundering sound," also "create disorder and confusion," probably related to Middle Dutch rommelen "to rumble," Middle High German rummeln, Old Norse rymja "to shout, roar," all of imitative origin. Related: Rumbled; rumbling.
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rumble
n.
late 14c., from rumble (v.). Slang noun meaning "gang fight" is from 1946. Meaning "backmost part of a carriage" is from 1808 (earlier rumbler, 1801), probably from the effect of sitting over the wheels; hence rumble seat (1828).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper