I. rus ‧ tle 1 /ˈrʌs ə l/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: From the sound; ]
[ Sense 2: Origin: probably influenced in meaning by hustle ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] if leaves, papers, clothes etc rustle, or if you rustle them, they make a noise as they rub against each other:
She moved nearer, her long silk skirt rustling around her.
He rustled the papers on his desk.
2 . [transitive] to steal farm animals such as cattle, horses, or sheep
rustle something ↔ up phrasal verb informal
to make a meal quickly:
I’ll rustle up a couple of steaks on the barbecue.
II. rustle 2 BrE AmE noun [singular]
the noise made when something rustles
rustle of
the rustle of leaves in the wind
• • •
THESAURUS
■ a quiet sound
▪ hum a quiet low continuous sound, especially from electrical equipment, traffic, an engine, or people’s conversation:
The only sound was the faint hum of the air-conditioning unit.
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He could hear the hum of distant traffic.
▪ rustle a continuous quiet sound from papers, leaves, or clothes when they rub together:
She heard the rustle of dried leaves behind her.
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the rustle of silk dresses
▪ murmur a quiet low continuous sound, especially from people’s voices that are far away:
The murmur of voices died away.
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They spoke in a low murmur.
▪ rumble a series of long low sounds, especially from big guns, traffic, or ↑ thunder :
I heard a rumble of thunder.
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the low rumble of a train approaching