Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

rummagemore about rummage

rummage

 

  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rummage  \Rum"mage\,  v.  i. 
  To  search  a  place  narrowly. 
 
  I  have  often  rummaged  for  old  books  in  Little  Britain 
  and  Duck  Lane.  --Swift. 
 
  [His  house]  was  haunted  with  a  jolly  ghost,  that  .  .  . 
  .  .  .  rummaged  like  a  rat.  --Tennyson. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rummage  \Rum"mage\  (?;  48),  n.  [For  roomage,  fr  room  hence 
  originally,  a  making  room  a  packing  away  closely.  See 
  {Room}.] 
  1.  (Naut.)  A  place  or  room  for  the  stowage  of  cargo  in  a 
  ship;  also  the  act  of  stowing  cargo;  the  pulling  and 
  moving  about  of  packages  incident  to  close  stowage;  -- 
  formerly  written  romage.  [Obs.] 
 
  2.  A  searching  carefully  by  looking  into  every  corner,  and  by 
  turning  things  over 
 
  He  has  made  such  a  general  rummage  and  reform  in  the 
  office  of  matrimony.  --Walpole. 
 
  {Rummage  sale},  a  clearance  sale  of  unclaimed  goods  in  a 
  public  store,  or  of  odds  and  ends  which  have  accumulated 
  in  a  shop.  --Simmonds. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rummage  \Rum"mage\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Rummaged};  p.  pr  &  vb 
  n.  {Rummaging}.] 
  1.  (Naut.)  To  make  room  in  as  a  ship,  for  the  cargo;  to  move 
  about  as  packages,  ballast,  so  as  to  permit  close 
  stowage;  to  stow  closely;  to  pack;  --  formerly  written 
  {roomage},  and  {romage}.  [Obs.] 
 
  They  might  bring  away  a  great  deal  more  than  they 
  do  if  they  would  take  pain  in  the  romaging. 
  --Hakluyt. 
 
  2.  To  search  or  examine  thoroughly  by  looking  into  every 
  corner,  and  turning  over  or  removing  goods  or  other 
  things  to  examine,  as  a  book,  carefully,  turning  over 
  leaf  after  leaf. 
 
  He  .  .  .  searcheth  his  pockets,  and  taketh  his  keys, 
  and  so  rummageth  all  his  closets  and  trunks. 
  --Howell. 
 
  What  schoolboy  of  us  has  not  rummaged  his  Greek 
  dictionary  in  vain  for  a  satisfactory  account!  --M. 
  Arnold. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  rummage 
  n  1:  a  jumble  of  things  to  be  given  away 
  2:  a  thorough  search  for  something  (often  causing  disorder  or 
  confusion);  "he  gave  the  attic  a  good  rummage  but  couldn't 
  find  his  skis"  [syn:  {ransacking},  {digging}] 
  v  :  search  haphazardly;  "We  rummaged  through  the  drawers"




more about rummage