rummage

[ ruhm-ij ]
/ ˈrʌm ɪdʒ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rummage ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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

OTHER WORDS FROM rummage

rum·mag·er, nounun·rum·maged, adjective

Words nearby rummage

rumford, rumi, ruminant, ruminate, ruml, rummage, rummage out, rummage sale, rummer, rummy, rumor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to rummage

comb, forage, poke, scour, jumble, spy, disturb, rake, disarray, grub, toss, seek, hunt, disorganize, explore, root, examine, shake, disorder, delve

Example sentences 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 of rummage

rummager, noun

Word 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
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