bustle

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bus·tle¹

(bŭs′əl)

intr. & tr.v. bus·tled, bus·tling, bus·tles

To move or cause to move energetically and busily.

Excited and often noisy activity; a stir.

[Possibly variant of obsolete buskle, frequentative of busk, to prepare oneself, from Old Norse būask, reflexive of būa, to prepare; see bheuə- in Indo-European roots.]

bus·tle²

(bŭs′əl)

1. A frame or pad to support and expand the fullness of the back of a skirt.

2. A bow, peplum, or gathering of material at the back of a skirt below the waist.

[Origin unknown.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bustle

(ˈbʌsəl)

(when: intr, often foll by about) to hurry or cause to hurry with a great show of energy or activity

energetic and noisy activity

[C16: probably from obsolete buskle to make energetic preparation, from dialect busk from Old Norse būask to prepare]

ˈbustler n

ˈbustling adj

ˈbustlingly adv

bustle

(ˈbʌsəl)

(Clothing & Fashion) a cushion or a metal or whalebone framework worn by women in the late 19th century at the back below the waist in order to expand the skirt

[C18: of unknown origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bus•tle¹

(ˈbʌs əl)

v. -tled, -tling,
n. v.i.

1. to move or act with a great show of energy (often fol. by about): bustling about in the kitchen.

2. to abound in something: an office bustling with activity.

v.t.

3. to cause to bustle; hustle.

4. energetic and often noisy activity.

[1615–25; Middle English bustelen to hurry along]

bus′tler, n.

bus′tling•ly, adv.

bus•tle²

(ˈbʌs əl)

n.

a projecting pad or framework formerly worn under the back of a woman's skirt to support and display the drape of the fabric.

[1780–90; orig. uncertain]

bus′tled, adj.

bustle

- A stuffed pad or cushion worn under the skirt of a woman's dress, it had a synonym of "dress-improver."

bustle

Past participle: bustled
Gerund: bustling

Imperative
bustle
bustle

Present
I bustle
you bustle
he/she/it bustles
we bustle
you bustle
they bustle

Preterite
I bustled
you bustled
he/she/it bustled
we bustled
you bustled
they bustled

Present Continuous
I am bustling
you are bustling
he/she/it is bustling
we are bustling
you are bustling
they are bustling

Present Perfect
I have bustled
you have bustled
he/she/it has bustled
we have bustled
you have bustled
they have bustled

Past Continuous
I was bustling
you were bustling
he/she/it was bustling
we were bustling
you were bustling
they were bustling

Past Perfect
I had bustled
you had bustled
he/she/it had bustled
we had bustled
you had bustled
they had bustled

Future
I will bustle
you will bustle
he/she/it will bustle
we will bustle
you will bustle
they will bustle

Future Perfect
I will have bustled
you will have bustled
he/she/it will have bustled
we will have bustled
you will have bustled
they will have bustled

Future Continuous
I will be bustling
you will be bustling
he/she/it will be bustling
we will be bustling
you will be bustling
they will be bustling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been bustling
you have been bustling
he/she/it has been bustling
we have been bustling
you have been bustling
they have been bustling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been bustling
you will have been bustling
he/she/it will have been bustling
we will have been bustling
you will have been bustling
they will have been bustling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been bustling
you had been bustling
he/she/it had been bustling
we had been bustling
you had been bustling
they had been bustling

Conditional
I would bustle
you would bustle
he/she/it would bustle
we would bustle
you would bustle
they would bustle

Past Conditional
I would have bustled
you would have bustled
he/she/it would have bustled
we would have bustled
you would have bustled
they would have bustled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Bustle

A light framework (usually of wire) worn by women to puff out the back of their skirts.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	bustle - a rapid active commotion ado, flurry, hustle, stir, fuss ruckus, ruction, rumpus, commotion, din, tumult - the act of making a noisy disturbance
	2.	bustle - a framework worn at the back below the waist for giving fullness to a woman's skirt framework - a structure supporting or containing something
Verb	1.	bustle - move or cause to move energetically or busily; "The cheerleaders bustled about excitingly before their performance" bustle about, hustle move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right"

bustle

verb

1. hurry, tear, rush, dash, scramble, fuss, flutter, beetle, hasten, scuttle, scurry, scamper My mother bustled around the kitchen.
hurry rest, relax, idle, loaf, take it easy, lie around, loiter, loll, laze, outspan (S. African), be indolent

noun

1. activity, to-do, stir, excitement, hurry, fuss, flurry, haste, agitation, commotion, ado, tumult, hurly-burly, pother the hustle and bustle of modern life
activity inactivity, quiet, tranquillity, stillness, inaction, quietness

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

bustle

verb

1. To move swiftly:

bolt, bucket, dart, dash, festinate, flash, fleet, flit, fly, haste, hasten, hurry, hustle, pelt, race, rocket, run, rush, sail, scoot, scour, shoot, speed, sprint, tear, trot, whirl, whisk, whiz, wing, zip, zoom.

Informal: hotfoot, rip.

Slang: barrel, highball.

Chiefly British: nip.

Idioms: get a move on, get cracking, go like lightning, go like the wind, hotfoot it, make haste, make time, make tracks, run like the wind, shake a leg, step on it.

2. To be nervously or uselessly active:

fuss, putter.

Informal: mess around.

noun

Agitated, excited movement and activity:

flurry, stir, whirl, whirlpool.

Translations

نَشاط، سُرْعَةُ حَرَكَهيَنْشَطُ، يَتَحَرَّكُ بِسُرْعَه

ometat sepobíhat sem a tamruchspěch

have travltjagjage rundttravlhed

Geschäftigkeit herumfuhrwerken

cohue démener remue-ménage

sürgés-forgássürgölõdik

stússaumstang, ys og òys

affaccendamento animazione trambusto tramestio

lakstymaslakstytiplušėjimasplušėti

burzmakņadarosītiessteigties

mas og kjas mase og kjase være geskjeftig

freneticidade

колготиться кутерьма суета

hayhuykoşuşmakoşuşmakkoşuşturmakoşuşturmak

喧闹四下忙碌奔忙忙乱

bustle

¹ [ˈbʌsl]

A. N (= activity) → ajetreo m, bullicio m; (= haste) → prisa f

B. VI (also bustle about) → ir y venir
to bustle in/out → entrar/salir afanosamente
bustling with activity → rebosante de actividad

bustle

² [ˈbʌsl] N (Hist) [of dress] → polisón m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

bustle

[ˈbʌs^əl]

n (= activity) → remue-ménage m, affairement m

vi → s'affairer

bustle

n → Betrieb m (→ of in +dat); (of fair, streets also) → geschäftiges or reges Treiben (→ of auf or in +dat)

vi to bustle about → geschäftig hin und her eilen or sausen (inf); to bustle in → geschäftig hinein-/hereineilen or -sausen (inf); to bustle out → geschäftig hinaus-/herauseilen or -sausen (inf); the marketplace was bustling with activity → auf dem Markt herrschte großer Betrieb or ein reges Treiben

bustle

n (Fashion) → Turnüre f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

bustle

[ˈbʌsl]

1. n → trambusto

2. vi (person) (also bustle about) → darsi da fare, affaccendarsi; (place) → essere animatissimo/a

bustle

(ˈbasl) verb

(often with about) to busy oneself (often noisily or fussily). She bustled about doing things all day.

noun

hurry, fuss or activity.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

Departure for the rendezvous A war party of Blackfeet A mock bustle Sham fires at night Warlike precautions Dangers of a night attack A panic among horses Cautious march The Beer Springs A mock carousel Skirmishing with buffaloes A buffalo bait Arrival at the rendezvous Meeting of various bands

He assumed, instantly, therefore, a belligerent tone; ordered the squaws to lead the horses to a small grove of ashen trees, and unload and tie them; and caused a great bustle to be made by his scanty handful; the leaders riding hither and thither, and vociferating with all their might, as if a numerous force was getting under way for an attack.

View in context

ALL that night we were in a great bustle getting things stowed in their place, and boatfuls of the squire's friends, Mr.

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The lanterns glimmered, as the men ran to and fro; the horses' hoofs clattered on the uneven paving of the yard; the chaise rumbled as it was drawn out of the coach-house; and all was noise and bustle.

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Now, Barbara, if the truth must.be told--as it must and ought to be--Barbara seemed, of all the little household, to take least pleasure in the bustle of the occasion; and when Kit, in the openness of his heart, told her how glad and overjoyed it made him, Barbara became more downcast still, and seemed to have even less pleasure in it than before!

View in context

Amid the bustle, Gurth was taken from horseback, in the course of which removal he prevailed upon the Jester to slack the cord with which his arms were bound.

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And like a sister of charity did this charitable Aunt Charity bustle about hither and thither, ready to turn her hand and heart to anything that promised to yield safety, comfort, and consolation to all on board a ship in which her beloved brother Bildad was concerned, and in which she herself owned a score or two of well-saved dollars.

View in context

Everything is done with a great deal of bustle, the unloading of the baggage, the examination of the customs; and everyone seems to smile at you.

View in context

Even the bustle and confusion at the railway terminus, so wearisome and bewildering at other times, roused me and did me good.

View in context

Yates considered it only as a temporary interruption, a disaster for the evening, and could even suggest the possibility of the rehearsal being renewed after tea, when the bustle of receiving Sir Thomas were over, and he might be at leisure to be amused by it.

View in context

In their room, however, all is bustle and confusion, for the doctors are about to make an autopsy on the corpse.

View in context

The day passed most pleasantly away; the morning in bustle and shopping, and the evening at one of the theatres.

bustle

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bus·tle¹

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bus•tle¹

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