ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rustle

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɹəsəɫ// UK //ɹˈʌsəl// rus·tle

n. a soft, dry sound made by something moving quickly, like paper or leaves. You might hear it when someone walks through tall grass or opens a bag of chips.

n. a soft, dry, crackling sound produced by the movement of a flexible material. Often used to describe the noise of paper, leaves, or fabric.


SIMPLE

I heard a rustle in the bushes behind me.

CONTEXTUAL

The dry leaves made a loud rustle as the wind pushed them across the forest floor.

COMPLEX

A sudden rustle in the undergrowth suggested that a small animal had just passed through, though the thick fog prevented any clear sight of the creature.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English rustelen, russelen, of uncertain origin, but probably from Old English hrūxlian, hristlan, hrystlan, hristlian (“to make a noise”). Compare also Scots reesle (“to crackle; rattle; rustle”), West Frisian risselje, Dutch ritselen (“to rustle”), Afrikaans ritsel (“to rustle”), German rascheln (“to rustle”).

Idioms1 entry

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