What does rummage mean?
To rummage is to search through a place, container, or pile of belongings in a hurried, disorderly, or exploratory fashion. The word often suggests turning things over and moving objects aside rather than examining them carefully or systematically, so it can carry a mildly negative or humorous implication. Rummage can also refer to searching for a particular item, as in “rummaging for a key,” or searching around an area without a precise method. As a noun, a rummage is a miscellaneous collection of objects, while a rummage sale is a sale of assorted second-hand goods. The word is useful because it captures the physical and slightly chaotic experience of searching through a jumble, whether that jumble is a drawer, an attic, a market stall, or a pile of papers. It appears in both British and American English, with “rummage sale” especially established in British usage.
To search through a place, container, or collection of items in a hurried or disorderly manner.
"I rummaged through my desk drawer but could not find the letter."
Often implies that the search is untidy, hurried, or not conducted systematically.
A miscellaneous collection of objects or an act of searching through such a collection.
"She sorted the rummage on the table into several neat piles."
The noun is less common than the verb in modern general use but remains established in expressions such as 'rummage sale.'
The plural is used when referring to separate miscellaneous collections of objects.
"The shop sells old tools, toys, and other rummages."
The word once described the act of collecting miscellaneous goods, as at a rummage sale; today it vividly suggests searching through a jumble of drawers, boxes, or belongings.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rummage come from?
The word comes through Middle English rumage, from Anglo-French rumage, meaning “to search.” The French word is generally connected with an Old Norse term meaning “space” or “room,” reflected in English room, though the precise development of the sense has changed over time. In its older commercial sense, rummage referred to a collection of miscellaneous goods, as in “a rummage of goods,” and later became especially associated with rummage sales. The modern meaning for an untidy search developed from that earlier association with searching through assorted goods.
Related word forms
How rummage is actually used
The verb is often slightly negative or comic in tone because it implies a lack of order and a somewhat careless search. It is common in British and American English, although the associated noun and the expression 'rummage sale' are particularly familiar in British English.
Easily confused with rummage
A rummage is a disorderly search through items or a place, whereas a rumour is an unverified report or piece of gossip.
To rummage means to search or rummage through things, while to rumble means to make a deep continuous sound or to speak in a low voice.