Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Rummage
Rum′mage
(?; 48)
, Noun.
1.
(Naut.)
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.
[Obs.]
2.
A searching carefully by looking into every corner, and by turning things over.
He has made such a general
rummage
and reform in the office of matrimony. Walpole.
Rummage sale
, a clearance sale of unclaimed goods in a public store, or of odds and ends which have accumulated in a shop.
Simmonds.
Rum′mage
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Rummaged
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Rummaging
.] 1.
(Naut.)
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
. [Obs.]
They might bring away a great deal more than they do, if they would take pain in the
romaging
. Hakluyt.
2.
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.
He . . . searcheth his pockets, and taketh his keys, and so
rummageth
all his closets and trunks. Howell.
What schoolboy of us has not
rummaged
his Greek dictionary in vain for a satisfactory account! M. Arnold.
Rum′mage
,Verb.
I.
To search a place narrowly.
I have often
rummaged
for old books in Little Britain and Duck Lane. Swift.
[His house] was haunted with a jolly ghost, that . . .
. . .
. . .
rummaged
like a rat. Tennyson.
Webster 1828 Edition
Rummage
RUM'MAGE
,Noun.
RUM'MAGE
,Verb.
T.
To search narrowly by looking into every corner and turning over or removing goods or other things.
Our greedy seamen rummage every hold.
RUM'MAGE
,Verb.
I.
I have often rummaged for old books in Little-Britain and Duck-Lane.