rummage
[ ruhm-ij ]
/ ˈrʌm ɪdʒ /
verb (used with object), rum·maged, rum·mag·ing.
to search thoroughly or actively through (a place, receptacle, etc.), especially by moving around, turning over, or looking through contents.
to find, bring, or fetch by searching (often followed by out or up).
verb (used without object), rum·maged, rum·mag·ing.
to search actively, as in a place or receptacle or within oneself: She rummaged in her mind for the forgotten name.
noun
miscellaneous articles; odds and ends.
a rummaging search.
Nearby words
Origin of rummage
1520–30; aphetic alteration of Middle French arrumage, equivalent to arrum(er) to stow goods in the hold of a ship (< ?) + -age -age
Related forms
rum·mag·er, nounun·rum·maged, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for rummage
British Dictionary definitions for rummage
rummage
/ (ˈrʌmɪdʒ) /
verb
(when intr , often foll by through) to search (through) while looking for something, often causing disorder or confusion
noun
an act of rummaging
a jumble of articles
obsolete confusion or bustle
Derived Forms
rummager, nounWord Origin for rummage
C14 (in the sense: to pack a cargo): from Old French arrumage, from arrumer to stow in a ship's hold, probably of Germanic origin
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