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rummage

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rummage¹

  • /ˈɹʌm.ɪd͡ʒ/ UK, US

Rhymes with -ʌmɪdʒ

Where it comes from

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).

verb rummages · rummaging · rummaged

  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. She rummaged her purse in search of the keys.
  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.

    Similar: ransack, rifle, trawl

noun rummages

  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.
  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.

    Similar: romage

Rummage²

Where it comes from

Americanized spelling of German Rometsch.

proper noun Rummages

  1. A surname from German.

Translations

Every language

verb (intransitive) to search something which contains many items

Españolpapelear
日本語漁る asaru, 引っ掻き回す hikkamawasu
中文翻尋 /翻寻 fānxún
Portuguêsvasculhar
Françaisfouiller
Deutschdurchwühlen
Italianofrugare, rovistare
Ελληνικάσκαλίζω skalízo
Românăscotoci, cotrobăi
Русскийры́ться rýtʹsja, копа́ться kopátʹsja
עבריתחיטט khitét

verb (transitive) to search something thoroughly and with disregard

Españolrevolver, hurgar, hurguetear, jurungar
한국어뒤지다 dwijida, 헤집다 hejipda
Portuguêsrevolver, esgravatar, vasculhar, revirar
Françaisfouiller
Deutschdurchwühlen
Italianorivoltare, scuriosare, buttare all'aria
Русскийобы́скивать obýskivatʹ, обша́ривать obšárivatʹ

verb to hastily search for

Españolhurgar
Portuguêsfuçar
Françaisfouiller
Deutschwühlen, stöbern
Italianorovistare, frugare, spulciare, armeggiare
Русскийры́ться rýtʹsja, копа́ться kopátʹsja

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Cite this
MLA

"rummage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rummage. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

rummage. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rummage

Chicago

"rummage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rummage.

BibTeX
@misc{rummage_2026,
  title = {rummage},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rummage},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}