rust

[ruhst]
noun
1.
Also called iron rust. the red or orange coating that forms on the surface of iron when exposed to air and moisture, consisting chiefly of ferric hydroxide and ferric oxide formed by oxidation.
2.
any film or coating on metal caused by oxidation.
3.
a stain resembling this coating.
4.
any growth, habit, influence, or agency tending to injure, deteriorate, or impair the mind, character, abilities, usefulness, etc.
5.
Plant Pathology.
a.
any of several diseases of plants, characterized by reddish, brownish, or black pustules on the leaves, stems, etc., caused by fungi of the order Uredinales.
b.
Also called rust fungus. a fungus causing this disease.
c.
any of several other diseases of unknown cause, characterized by reddish-brown spots or discolorations on the affected parts.
6.
reddish yellow, reddish brown, or yellowish red.
verb (used without object)
7.
to become or grow rusty, as iron.
8.
to contract rust.
9.
to deteriorate or become impaired, as through inaction or disuse.
10.
to become rust-colored.
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verb (used with object)
11.
to affect with rust.
12.
to impair as if with rust.
13.
to make rust-colored.
adjective
14.
having the color rust.
Verb phrases
15.
rust out, (of metal pipes, machinery, etc.) to decay and become unusable through the action of rust.
16.
rust through, to develop holes, breaks, or the like, because of rust.
17.
rust together, to join two metal pieces, as iron pipes, by causing the joint to rust.
Origin:
before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English rūst; cognate with German Rost; (v.) Middle English rusten, derivative of the noun; akin to red

Related forms
de·rust, verb (used with object)
un·rust, verb (used with object)

Synonyms
2. corrosion. 9. decay, decline.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
rust (rʌst) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a reddish-brown oxide coating formed on iron or steel by the action of oxygen and moisture
2.  plant pathol Also called: rust fungus
 a.  any basidiomycetous fungus of the order Uredinales, parasitic on cereal plants, conifers, etc
 b.  any of various plant diseases characterized by reddish-brown discoloration of the leaves and stem, esp that caused by the rust fungi
3.  a.  a strong brown colour, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish tinge
 b.  (as adjective): a rust carpet
4.  any corrosive or debilitating influence, esp lack of use
 
—vb
5.  to become or cause to become coated with a layer of rust
6.  to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate through some debilitating influence or lack of use: he allowed his talent to rust over the years
 
[Old English rūst; related to Old Saxon, Old High German rost]
 
'rustless
 
—adj

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

rust
O.E. rust, related to rudu "redness," from P.Gmc. *rusta- (cf. Fris. rust, O.H.G., Ger. rost, M.Du. ro(e)st), from PIE *reudh-s-to- (cf. Lith. rustas "brownish," rudeti "to rust;" L. robigo, O.C.S. ruzda "rust"), from base *reudh- "red." The verb is attested from early 13c. As a plant disease, attested
from mid-14c. Rust Belt "dacayed urban industrial areas of mid-central U.S." (1984) was popularized, if not coined, by Walter Mondale's presidential campaign.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

rust (rŭst)
n.
Any of a group of parasitic fungi of the order Uredinales that are plant pathogens, especially of cereal grains, and that can produce allergy in humans when inhaled in large numbers.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
rust   (rŭst)  Pronunciation Key 
Noun  

  1. Any of the various reddish-brown oxides of iron that form on iron and many of its alloys when they are exposed to oxygen in the presence of moisture.

    1. Any of various basidiomycete fungi that are parasitic on plants and produce reddish or brownish spots on leaves. Rusts attack a wide variety of plants and can cause enormous damage to crops.

    2. Any of the various plant diseases caused by these fungi.


Verb   To become corroded or oxidized.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
RUST
Remote User Scheduling Terminal
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

rust

disease of thousands of economically important plants, as well as weeds, caused by more than 4,000 species of fungi.

Learn more about rust with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
If the pipes are made of a metal that will not rust or corrode, the pipes will
  last for many years.
Oil also helps to keep engine surfaces clean, makes start-up easier, and limits
  rust and corrosion.
These tin boxes were lacquered to protect from rust and enclosed in wooden
  cases for transportation.
Leaf rust is an important foliar disease of wheat worldwide.
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