Rummage

Meaning

(transitive, nautical) To arrange (cargo, goods, etc.) in the hold of a ship; to move or rearrange such goods..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive, nautical) To arrange (cargo, goods, etc.) in the hold of a ship; to move or rearrange such goods.
2. (transitive, nautical) To search a vessel for smuggled goods.
3. (transitive) To search something thoroughly and with disregard for the way in which things were arranged.
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.
5. A thorough search, usually resulting in disorder.
6. (obsolete) Commotion; disturbance.
7. A disorganized collection of miscellaneous objects; a jumble.
8. (nautical) A place or room for the stowage of cargo in a ship.

Example Sentences

After the long voyage, the customs officers rummaged the ship.

She rummaged her purse in search of the keys.

The burglars rummaged the entire house for cash and jewellery.

He[…]searcheth his pockets, and taketh his keys, and so rummageth all his closets and trunks.

What schoolboy of us has not rummaged his Greek dictionary in vain for a satisfactory account!

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.

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.

Word Forms

• rummages
• rummaging
• rummaged

Synonyms for rummage

Related Words

When Should You Use Rummage?

Use rummage when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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