Rummage
['rʌmɪdʒ]
Definition
(noun.) a jumble of things to be given away.
(verb.) search haphazardly; 'We rummaged through the drawers'.
Checker: Lorrie--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) 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.
(n.) A searching carefully by looking into every corner, and by turning things over.
(v. t.) 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.
(v. t.) 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.
(v. i.) To search a place narrowly.
Checker: Melanie
Synonyms and Synonymous
v. a. Search (carefully), examine, explore, ransack, pry into.
v. n. Make a search.
n. Search, examination, exploration.
Checker: Truman
Definition
v.t. to turn things over in search: to clear a ship's hold of goods: to pack: to stow closely: to ransack: to explore: to bring to light: to stir.—v.i. to make a search.—n. a careful search: an upheaval.—n. Rumm′ager.—Rummage sale a sale of unclaimed goods.
Inputed by Frances
Examples
- Among them odd heaps of old papers, this gentleman, when he comes into the property, naturally begins to rummage, don't you see? Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- Being a prudent man and accustomed to take care of your own affairs, you begin to rummage among the papers as you have come into; don't you? Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- Jo liked this, and after an energetic rummage from garret to cellar, subsided on the sofa to nurse her cold with arsenicum and books. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- To rummage, repeated Mr. Bucket. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- The obedient figure began to rummage in its pockets. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- Suddenly the Rector stopped, and began to rummage in the pockets of his long black coat. Fergus Hume. The Island of Fantasy.
- The oftener you make them rummage their own minds for a reason, the more manageable you will find them in all the relations of life. Wilkie Collins. The Moonstone.
- He rummaged in his coat pocket, and, drawing out a piece of discoloured, blue-tinted paper, he laid it out upon the table. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- She had not rummaged her drawers for a month past, and the impulse to perform that operation was now become resistless. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- But he did not write the letter that day, for as he rummaged out his best paper, he came across something which changed his purpose. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- Did you hear him say, you cur, that he was going to have the Mounds cleared off, when no doubt the whole place will be rummaged? Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- Among these he rummaged and read, with intervals of note-taking and of meditation, until we were past Reading. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- The moment I looked at my table, I was aware that someone had rummaged among my papers. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- Selden was rummaging in a cupboard for the cake. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- To begin at the beginning, Mrs. Kirke called to me one day as I passed Mr. Bhaer's room where she was rummaging. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- Caroline, who, mounted on a chair, had been rummaging the bookcase, returned with a book. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- Holmes spent the evening in rummaging among the files of the old daily papers with which one of our lumber-rooms was packed. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- I suppose that's what you are rummaging after among my things. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- Meantime Mark, who for some minutes had been rummaging amongst a pile of books on a side-table, took the word. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- The seamen at their landing observed my canoe, and rummaging it all over, easily conjectured that the owner could not be far off. Jonathan Swift. Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.
Edited by Dwight