rustle
/ˈrʌs(ə)l
/verb
1 [no object] Make a soft, muffled crackling sound like that caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper: she came closer, her skirt swaying and rustling...
- The busy castle sounds drifted away, and a soft wind rustled through the leaves of the apple trees, stirring up the heady scent of sage and mint.
- One night, as I was sleeping, I heard voices like wind rustling in the leaves.
- She could hear the soft breeze blow through the trees; leaves rustling and crackling together.
Synonyms
swish, whisper, sigh, whoosh;
Scottish & Irish fissle
rare susurrate
1.1 [with adverbial of direction] Move with a rustling sound: a nurse rustled in...
- At last, however, she rustled in, smoothing down a stiff poplin dress, with a little frightened flush in a gracefully rounded cheek.
- Now she rustled in with an emphatic announcement of stiff brocade, and enveloped the spectral Angela in an embrace of comfortable arms and bosom.
1.2 [with object] Cause (something) to make a rustling sound: Dolly rustled the paper irritably...
- The only sound was the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees.
- Feel the sun on your face, hear the sounds around you - maybe water from a gentle stream or the sound of a breeze rustling the grass, or birds above.
- There must have been the same animal warmth, the same sweet animal smell, the same sounds of animals breathing, chewing and rustling hay.
2 [with object] Round up and steal (cattle, horses, or sheep): a murdered rancher whose cattle were being rustled (as noun rustling) horse rustling is a growing problem...
- In 1875, Dan was one of a coterie of five thieves rustling cattle and horses in southeastern Wyoming.
- Lever and his men raided Ralph and his tenants, rustling their cattle and stealing everything that wasn't nailed down.
- Traditional B-Western themes such as cattle and horse rustling continued, but they were war-related.
Synonyms
steal, thieve, take, abduct, kidnap
3 [no object] North American informal Move or act quickly or energetically; hustle: rustle around the kitchen, see what there is...
- "Alright now," said Neal suddenly waking up and leaping out of bed "what we must do is eat, at once, Louanne rustle around the kitchen see what there is, Jack you and I go downstairs and call Allen, Al you see what you can do straightening out the house."
- I began to rustle around the kitchen looking for all the stuff in the recipe.
noun
A soft, muffled crackling sound like that made by the movement of dry leaves or paper: there was a rustle in the undergrowth behind her...
- It landed solidly, making a soft rustle as the metallic surface met paper.
- A soft rustle of leaves dimly caught my attention.
- Her ears picked up the sound of a soft rustle, and then beneath it, the quiet steady thudding of cushioned weight hitting the ground.
Phrasal verbs
rustle something up
Derivatives
rustler
/ nounsense 2 of the verb. ...- The true West was populated by a variety of emigrants, including fur trappers, prospectors, cavalrymen and assorted thieves and rustlers.
- Others are convinced that he was killed by cattle rustlers.
- Sheep rustlers have returned to the Moors and are threatening to drive farmers out of business by stealing stock worth tens of thousands of pounds.
Origin
Late Middle English (as a verb): imitative; compare with Flemish rijsselen and Dutch ritselen. The noun dates from the mid 18th century.
Rhymes
- restrictive
- restrictive covenant
- restrictively
- restrictiveness
- restrictive practice
- restrictive practitioner
- restrictivism
- restrictivist
- restrictor
- restrictor plate
- restrictory
- restrike
- restriking
- restriking voltage
- restring
- restringent
- restrive
- restroom
- restruck
- restructuration
- restructure
- rest stop
- Reststrahl
- Reststrahlen
- rest tremor