Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To move with soft fluttering or crackling sounds.
  • intransitive verb To move or act energetically or while making such sounds.
  • intransitive verb To steal livestock, especially cattle.
  • intransitive verb To cause to rustle.
  • intransitive verb To obtain or produce by energetic effort.
  • intransitive verb To steal (livestock, especially cattle).

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To steal cattle, as a “rustler”; hence to steal, in general. See rustler, 3.
  • To make a wavering, murmuring sound when set in motion and rubbed one part upon another or against something else; give out a slightly sibilant sound when shaken: as, a rustling silk; rustling foliage; rustling wings.
  • To move about or along with a rustling sound.
  • To stir about; bestir one's self; struggle or strive, especially against obstacles or difficulties; work vigorously or energetically; “hustle.”
  • To cause to rustle.
  • To shake with a murmuring, rustling sound.
  • To make, do, secure, obtain, etc., in a lively, energetic manner.
  • noun The noise made by one who or that which rustles; a rustling.
  • noun A movement accompanied by a rustling sound.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To make a quick succession of small sounds, like the rubbing or moving of silk cloth or dry leaves.
  • intransitive verb Slang, Western U.S. To stir about energetically; to strive to succeed; to bustle about.
  • intransitive verb To steal; -- used of livestock and esp. of cattle.
  • intransitive verb To gather or find by searching.
  • transitive verb To cause to rustle.
  • noun A quick succession or confusion of small sounds, like those made by shaking leaves or straw, by rubbing silk, or the like; a rustling.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A soft crackling sound similar to the movement of leaves.
  • verb ergative To move (something) with a soft crackling sound.
  • verb transitive To make or obtain in a lively, energetic way.
  • verb transitive To steal (cattle or other livestock).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb forage food
  • verb make a dry crackling sound
  • noun a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind
  • verb take illegally

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English rustlen, perhaps of imitative origin.]

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Examples

  • Hang awn a minnit….*rustle rustle scrabble rustle*..

    Okay. When they start - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008

  • Not just an "Ooh, Juliet", like a good Shakespearean actor, but a full blown "Oooouuuuuuuhh * pant pant rustle rustle* Juliet!"

    Original Signal - Transmitting Buzz 2010

  • : * rustle rustle rustle* great visual … Can't wait for the picket line to form around 815.

    Stand Firm Stand Firm 2010

  • : * rustle rustle rustle* great visual … Can't wait for the picket line to form around 815.

    Stand Firm 2010

  • : * rustle rustle rustle* great visual … Can't wait for the picket line to form around 815.

    Stand Firm Stand Firm 2010

  • While she sat looking over the titles the rustle of silk caused her to glance around, and she saw Mrs. Martin quite near her.

    Beulah 1872

  • Neighbours ridiculed the idea, saying that they would not get many calves, that they could not or would not "rustle" -- that is, they would not get about with the cows -- that they would need nursing and feeding and would not stand the climate.

    Ranching, Sport and Travel Thomas Carson

  • Our concern here is to emphasize the billions of small wrangles that were altering the collective thought, to summon out of the past, for an instant, an elfin clamour of now silenced voices that prepared the soil for revolution, the not-at-all-lucid propagandists at street corners, the speakers in little meeting-houses, in open spaces and during work intermissions; to recall the rustle of queer newspapers that were not quite ordinary newspapers; and the handicapped book publications that were everywhere fighting traditional and instinctive resistances.

    The Shape of Things to Come Herbert George 2006

  • Gasa-gasa is also an onomatopoeic word for "rustle" or "rustling sound." gasagasagirl on November 01, 2006 in Naomi Hirahara | Permalink

    November 2006 2006

  • Gasa-gasa is also an onomatopoeic word for "rustle" or "rustling sound." gasagasagirl on November 01, 2006 in Naomi Hirahara | Permalink

    Finding Takeo 2006

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