Rum"mage (?; 48), n. [For
roomage, fr. room; hence originally, a making room, a
packing away closely. See Room.] 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, v. 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, v. 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.
Rum"mage (?; 48), n. [For
roomage, fr. room; hence originally, a making room, a
packing away closely. See Room.] 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, v. 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, v. 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.
