I. ˈrəstē, -ti adjective
( usually -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English rūstig, from rūst rust + -ig -y — more at rust
1. : affected by or coated with rust : stiff in action as if clogged with rust
vast piles of rusty pig iron still covered with frost — Louis Bromfield
2. : showing venerability often accompanied by an air of disability
stood beside the rusty old soldier at the parade
3. : resembling or affected with rust
the apples were rusty and knotty — Stella Hyman
4. archaic : crude or rough in manner : morose , sullen
5.
a. : characterized by ineptitude or slowness usually through lack of practice or old age
how rusty I found myself — Archibald Marshall
his slackened fingers and rusty mind — Sinclair Lewis
b. : impaired by disuse or neglect
his legal knowledge, while rusty , was broader than generally realized — Beverly Smith
his English was a little rusty — Nevil Shute
6.
a.
(1) : having or tinged with the color of iron rust
the leaves were turning rusty — Mary Webb
rusty hair low on a stern brow — Claudia Cassidy
(2) : of the color rust
b. : not clean : discolored
bales of cotton, rusty from exposure to the elements
c. : dulled in color or appearance by age and long use : revealing hard wear
a slender woman in a rusty black robe — Ralph Ellison
wore … baggy trousers so short as to show his rusty boots — G.F.Milton
7. : characterized by staleness : hoary , outmoded
followed by a magic-lantern show and some rusty jokes — R.L.Taylor
8. : harsh and grating in tone as if from disuse : hoarse
gave a rusty chuckle as if unaccustomed to laughing — J.H.Wheelwright
a rusty , willfully ancient voice — Edith Sitwell
II. ˈru̇sti, ˈrəsti
variant of reasty
III. ˈrəstē adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by rusty ) (I) of resty
1. : restive
rusty horses
2. chiefly dialect : having a surly manner : ill-tempered
rusty ever since that business over the oil shares — John Galsworthy