rust
Also called iron rust . the red or orange coating that forms on the surface of iron when exposed to air and moisture, consisting chiefly of ferric hydroxide and ferric oxide formed by oxidation.
any film or coating on metal caused by oxidation.
a stain resembling this coating.
any growth, habit, influence, or agency tending to injure, deteriorate, or impair the mind, character, abilities, usefulness, etc.
Plant Pathology.
any of several diseases of plants, characterized by reddish, brownish, or black pustules on the leaves, stems, etc., caused by fungi of the order Uredinales.
Also called rust fungus . a fungus causing this disease.
any of several other diseases of unknown cause, characterized by reddish-brown spots or discolorations on the affected parts.
reddish yellow, reddish brown, or yellowish red.
to become or grow rusty, as iron.
to contract rust.
to deteriorate or become impaired, as through inaction or disuse.
to become rust-colored.
to affect with rust.
to impair as if with rust.
to make rust-colored.
having the color rust.
rust out, (of metal pipes, machinery, etc.) to decay and become unusable through the action of rust.
rust through, to develop holes, breaks, or the like, because of rust.
rust together, to join two metal pieces, as iron pipes, by causing the joint to rust.
Origin of rust
1Other words for rust
Other words from rust
- de·rust, verb (used with object)
- un·rust, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rust in a sentence
Previously, bacteria that use hydrogen and rust to generate energy in this way have only been found in very hot or acidic environments, like the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park.
Glacier-dwelling bacteria thrive on chemical energy derived from rocks and water | Kate Baggaley | December 30, 2020 | Popular-ScienceMicrobes use this hydrogen and rust to fuel their metabolisms and convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into organic carbon, similarly to how plants do during photosynthesis.
Glacier-dwelling bacteria thrive on chemical energy derived from rocks and water | Kate Baggaley | December 30, 2020 | Popular-ScienceWith the rust-proof bike, you also get a Polar OH1 heart rate monitor, weights, a roller, and foam mats.
Best exercise bike: Get your miles in without leaving the house | PopSci Commerce Team | December 19, 2020 | Popular-ScienceI’m living off campus in Cambridge, in a third-story apartment with rust stains in the bathtub, furnished with sofas we found on the street.
The base spike goes easily into the ground to hold the sprinkler steady, and the strong, plastic construction is rust-proof.
It was an old, rusted AMC Pacer that was missing, among other things, a fuel door.
‘My Crazy Love’ Reveals the Craziest Lies People Tell for Love | Kevin Fallon | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe more than 50,000 who reside in West Point live mostly in shacks made of zinc with rusted tin roofs.
It has faded from pixelated gray to rusted ochre, fringed on the edges with black sweat grease.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq | Nathan Bradley Bethea | August 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn one, a display of rusted Soviet weapons, unearthed from around the base, recalls a war museum… a war museum within a war.
How I’ll End the War: My First Week Back in Afghanistan | Nick Willard | May 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDetroit broke down, the Steel Belt rusted, and bourbon whiskey took a terrifying nosedive.
Hillbilly Heaven: The History of Small-Batch Bourbon | Dane Huckelbridge | March 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe humidity of the earth had rusted the screws, and it was not without some difficulty that the coffin was opened.
Camille (La Dame aux Camilias) | Alexandre Dumas, filsOne day, in a big forest that was strange to me, my joints suddenly became rusted, because I had forgotten to oil them.
The Tin Woodman of Oz | L. Frank BaumNeither do rusted bearings wear so long as those properly protected.
The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard EatonThen my arms rusted at the joints and I became frightened and cried for help, for now I was unable to oil myself.
The Tin Woodman of Oz | L. Frank BaumNo one heard my calls and before long my jaws rusted, and I was unable to utter another sound.
The Tin Woodman of Oz | L. Frank Baum
British Dictionary definitions for rust
/ (rʌst) /
a reddish-brown oxide coating formed on iron or steel by the action of oxygen and moisture
Also called: rust fungus plant pathol
any basidiomycetous fungus of the order Uredinales, parasitic on cereal plants, conifers, etc
any of various plant diseases characterized by reddish-brown discoloration of the leaves and stem, esp that caused by the rust fungi
a strong brown colour, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish tinge
(as adjective): a rust carpet
any corrosive or debilitating influence, esp lack of use
to become or cause to become coated with a layer of rust
to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate through some debilitating influence or lack of use: he allowed his talent to rust over the years
Origin of rust
1Derived forms of rust
- rustless, adjective
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
Scientific definitions for rust
[ rŭst ]
Any of the various reddish-brown oxides of iron that form on iron and many of its alloys when they are exposed to oxygen in the presence of moisture.
Any of various basidiomycete fungi that are parasitic on plants and produce reddish or brownish spots on leaves. Rusts attack a wide variety of plants and can cause enormous damage to crops.
Any of the various plant diseases caused by these fungi.
To become corroded or oxidized.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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