rum·ble

[ruhm-buhl] verb, rum·bled, rum·bling, noun
verb (used without object)
1.
to make a deep, heavy, somewhat muffled, continuous sound, as thunder.
2.
to move or travel with such a sound: The train rumbled on.
3.
Slang. to have or take part in a street fight between or among teenage gangs: Rival gangs rumbled on Saturday afternoon.
verb (used with object)
4.
to give forth or utter with a rumbling sound: to rumble a command.
5.
to cause to make or move with a rumbling sound: to rumble a wagon over the ground.
6.
to subject to the action of a rumble or tumbling box, as for the purpose of polishing.
00:10
Rumble is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.
noun
7.
a deep, heavy, somewhat muffled, continuous sound: the rumble of tanks across a bridge.
9.
a rear part of a carriage containing seating accommodations, as for servants, or space for baggage.
11.
Slang. a street fight between rival teenage gangs.

Origin:
1325–75; 1940–45 for def 3; (v.) Middle English romblen, rumblen; compare Dutch rommelen, probably of imitative orig.; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the v.

rum·bler, noun
rum·bling·ly, adverb


1. roar, thunder, roll, boom.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
rumble (ˈrʌmbəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to make or cause to make a deep resonant sound: thunder rumbled in the sky
2.  to move with such a sound: the train rumbled along
3.  (tr) to utter with a rumbling sound: he rumbled an order
4.  (tr) to tumble (metal components, gemstones, etc) in a barrel of smooth stone in order to polish them
5.  informal (Brit) (tr) to find out about (someone or something); discover (something): the police rumbled their plans
6.  slang (US) (intr) to be involved in a gang fight
 
n
7.  a deep resonant sound
8.  a widespread murmur of discontent
9.  another name for tumbler
10.  slang (US), (Canadian), (NZ) a gang fight
 
[C14: perhaps from Middle Dutch rummelen; related to German rummeln, rumpeln]
 
'rumbler
 
n
 
'rumbling
 
adj
 
'rumblingly
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

rumble
late 14c., probably related to M.Du. rommelen "to rumble," M.H.G. rummeln, O.N. rymja "to shout, roar," all of imitative origin. The noun is attested from late 14c. Slang noun meaning "gang fight" is from 1946. Meaning "backmost part of a carriage" is from 1808 (earlier rumbler, 1801), probably from
the effect of sitting over the wheels; hence rumble seat (1912).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

rumble definition


  1. in.
    to fight. : The gangs are rumbling over on Fourth Street.
  2. n.
    a fight; a street fight; a gang fight. : My brother was hurt in a gang rumble.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
One hears the thumping of a car stereo or the rumble of thunder from a distance.
His loud high cry travels down the scale, ending as a low rumble.
He let it rumble and stop, rumble and stop three full times so that the caller would not suspect how lonely he was.
But as crime dropped, the mayor and the chief began to rumble.
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