Dictionary

rummage en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹʌm.ɪd͡ʒ/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English ronage, from Old French arrumage (compare French arrimage), from arrumer (“to arrange the cargo in the hold”) (compare French arrimer and Spanish arrumar).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A thorough search, usually resulting in disorder.
   • Have a rummage through the attic and see if you can find anything worth selling.
   • He has made such a general rummage and reform in the office of matrimony. 1753 May 24, Horace Walpole, letter to the Hon. H. S. Conway:
2. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Commotion; disturbance.
3. (countable, uncountable) A disorganized collection of miscellaneous objects; a jumble.
4. (countable, uncountable) A place or room for the stowage of cargo in a ship.
5. (countable, uncountable) The act of stowing cargo; the pulling and moving about of packages incident to close stowage.

Forms

Deriveds

rummage squad

Relateds

search · rummage sale · look · rake · quarry

Synonyms

romage

Translations (8)

bg бъркотия (disorganized collection of miscellaneous objects) · fi sekamelska (disorganized collection of miscellaneous objects) · bg ровене (thorough search, usually resulting in disorder) · fi penkominen (thorough search, usually resulting in disorder) · fi ruuma (nautical: place or room for the stowage of cargo) · fi ahtaminen (nautical: act of stowing cargo) · bg трюм (nautical: place or room for the stowage of cargo) · bg тършуване (thorough search, usually resulting in disorder)

rummage en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹʌm.ɪd͡ʒ/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English ronage, from Old French arrumage (compare French arrimage), from arrumer (“to arrange the cargo in the hold”) (compare French arrimer and Spanish arrumar).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To arrange (cargo, goods, etc.) in the hold of a ship; to move or rearrange such goods.
2. (transitive) To search a vessel for smuggled goods.
   • After the long voyage, the customs officers rummaged the ship.
3. (transitive) To search something thoroughly and with disregard for the way in which things were arranged.
   • The burglars rummaged the entire house for cash and jewellery.
   • She rummaged her purse in search of the keys.
   • He[…]searcheth his pockets, and taketh his keys, and so rummageth all his closets and trunks. 1655, James Howell, “To the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mohun”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume (please specify the page), London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], →OCLC:
   • What schoolboy of us has not rummaged his Greek dictionary in vain for a satisfactory account! 1866, Matthew Arnold, The Study of Celtic Literature:
   • British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far. 2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
4. (intransitive) To hastily search for something in a confined space and among many items by carelessly turning things over or pushing things aside; dig through carelessly.
   • She rummaged in the drawers trying to find the missing sock.
   • Philander went into the next room[…]and came back with a salt mackerel that dripped brine like a rainstorm. Then he put the coffee pot on the stove and rummaged out a loaf of dry bread and some hardtack. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VIII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

rummager · rummagy · unrummaged

Synonyms

rifle · ransack · trawl

Translations (82)

de durchwühlen ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · fr fouiller (to hastily search for) · ru копа́ться (to hastily search for) · it frugare ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · mi hurahura ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · es hurgar ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · gu ફેંદવું ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · he חיטט ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · it scuriosare ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · no grovsøke (to hastily search for) · fi penkoa ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · sv rota ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · gu ફેંદવું ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · ko 헤집다 ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · th รื้อ ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · pt esgravatar ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · it spulciare (to hastily search for) · cy chwilenna ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · de wühlen (to hastily search for) · mi paraketu ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · it rovistare (to hastily search for) · ca furgar ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · es hurgar (to hastily search for) · es papelear ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · fi koluta ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · ro cotrobăi ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · fi ahtaa (to arrange something in the hold of a ship) · pt revolver ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · cim büulan ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · no endevende ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · cy chwilio ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · ca remenar ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · fr fouiller ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · ru копа́ться ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · it rivoltare ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · it rovistare ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · cy chwilota ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · th ค้น ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · fi penkoa (to hastily search for) · bg ровя (to hastily search for) · ru обша́ривать ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · fr fouiller ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · pt revirar ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · pt vasculhar ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · pt vasculhar ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · ru ры́ться ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · nb omkalfatre (to hastily search for) · fi penkoa ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · gl remexer ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · gl cachear ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · el σκαλίζω ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · es revolver ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · nb rote rundt i (to hastily search for) · bg тършувам ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · gl cachear ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · de durchwühlen ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · tl halughog (to hastily search for) · gl remexer ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · se boltut ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · es hurguetear ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · th คุ้ย ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · ru ры́ться (to hastily search for) · pt fuçar (to hastily search for) · ko 뒤지다 ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · it frugare (to hastily search for) · tl halughog ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · cmn 翻尋 /翻寻 ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · ru обы́скивать ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · ga tiomsaigh ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · ja 漁る ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · ca regirar ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · ro scotoci ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · it buttare all'aria ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · no gjennomsøke ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · es jurungar ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · it armeggiare (to hastily search for) · ja 引っ掻き回す ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · rup gurnjescu ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · bg претърсвам ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items) · tl halughog ((transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard) · de stöbern (to hastily search for) · sv rota ((intransitive) to search something which contains many items)