rummage

[ ruhm-ij ]

verb (used with object)

, rum·maged, rum·mag·ing.

1. to search thoroughly or actively through (a place, receptacle, etc.), especially by moving around, turning over, or looking through contents.
2. to find, bring, or fetch by searching (often followed by out or up ).

verb (used without object)

, rum·maged, rum·mag·ing.

1. to search actively, as in a place or receptacle or within oneself:

   She rummaged in her mind for the forgotten name.

noun

1. miscellaneous articles; odds and ends.
2. a rummaging search.

rummage

/ ˈrʌmɪdʒ /

verb

1. whenintr, often foll by through to search (through) while looking for something, often causing disorder or confusion

noun

1. an act of rummaging
2. a jumble of articles
3. obsolete.
   confusion or bustle

Derived Forms

• ˈrummager, noun

Other Words From

• rummag·er noun
• un·rummaged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rummage¹

1520–30; aphetic alteration of Middle French arrumage, equivalent to arrum ( er ) to stow goods in the hold of a ship (< ?) + -age -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of rummage¹

C14 (in the sense: to pack a cargo): from Old French arrumage , from arrumer to stow in a ship's hold, probably of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

Fuzzy night-time footage shows the bear spending about 30-45 seconds in the car, rummaging around the front and back, before falling out of the open passenger door.

From BBC

Dumpster diving: Despite the rise of digital theft, some identity thieves still resort to traditional methods like rummaging through discarded documents for sensitive information.

From Salon

"Some don't like it because it's their home and you don’t want people rummaging around," he says.

From BBC

Video played to Teesside Crown Court showed Davison jumping on the roof of a red car while Walton was seen throwing a missile, damaging a car's wing mirror and rummaging through a bin.

From BBC

In another clip, Moss, who was a freshman at the time, is shown with others rummaging through what appears to be his roommate’s closet.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• comb
• forage
• poke
• scour