I. ˈrəstik, -tēk adjective
Etymology: Middle English rustyk, from Middle French rustique, from Latin rusticus, from rus country, open land — more at room
1. : of or relating to the country : rural
rude carts, bespattered with rustic mire — Charles Dickens
2. : of or relating to rustic work
3.
a. : having an appearance or manner held to resemble country folk
a splendid primeval rustic figure — Osbert Lancaster
b. : living in a rural area : engaged in country occupations (as farming)
one of the few victories in all history of rustic untrained volunteers over professional soldiers — Budd Schulberg
4. : having or exhibiting qualities held to be characteristic of rural people: as
a. : marked by awkwardness : lacking polish : coarse , rude
rustic readiness to jeer at the unusual — H.O.Taylor
b. : marked by simplicity : artless
if education had not meddled with her rustic nature — Jean Stafford
participating in these rustic occasions — P.L.Fermor
5. : adapted or appropriate to the country or country living : rough , sturdy : lacking in ornamentation
had a rustic shanty and arbor — Herman Melville
dotted with tourist cabins and hotels — from the luxurious to the rustic — American Guide Series: Arizona
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : an inhabitant of a rural area
new emphasis on the preciousness of the … soil affected both rustic and townsman — John Buchan
b. : one who is rude, coarse, or dull
c. : a rural person thought to be naturally simple in character or manners : one without sophistication
where had my simple rustic procured it — Jacob Hay
2. : brick with a rough textured surface often multicolored : a style of masonry resembling rockwork
3. : rustic moth
4. : a ceramic surface artificially roughened