rust
noun
\ ˈrəst
\
\
Definition of rust
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: the reddish brittle coating formed on iron especially when chemically attacked by moist air and composed essentially of hydrated ferric oxide
b
: a comparable coating produced on a metal other than iron by corrosion
c
: something resembling rust : accretion
2
: corrosive or injurious influence or effect
3
: any of numerous destructive diseases of plants produced by fungi (order Uredinales) and characterized by usually reddish-brown pustular lesions
also
: a fungus causing this
4
: a strong reddish brown
rust
verb
rusted;
rusting;
rusts
Definition of rust (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to form rust : become oxidized
iron rusts
2
: to degenerate especially from inaction, lack of use, or passage of time
most men would … have allowed their faculties to rust— T. B. Macaulay
3
: to become reddish brown as if with rust
the leaves slowly rusted
4
: to be affected with a rust fungus
1
: to cause (a metal) to form rust
keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them— William Shakespeare
2
: to impair or corrode by or as if by time, inactivity, or deleterious use
3
: to cause to become reddish brown : turn the color of rust
Examples of rust in a Sentence
Noun
an old pump covered in rustVerb
Your bicycle will rust if you leave it out in the rain. The moist air rusted the latch on the door. The old iron fence was rusted.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Wilson drives a white 2007 Dodge Caravan van that has rust in some areas, police said. — Ann Zaniewski, Detroit Free Press, "Waterford police seek landscaping worker in woman's death," 30 Aug. 2019 Wine bottles and jugs encased in silt still stood upright in wooden niches and rifles still hung on the walls, encased in rust. — Meagan Flynn, Anchorage Daily News, "A doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic killed 129 men. Now the ship’s artifacts have been found ‘frozen in time.’," 29 Aug. 2019 After shaking off his rust, Federer rallied past Damir Dzumhur and moved on, rueful but unscathed. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: Roger Federer and Serena Williams falter early but recover in time to advance," 28 Aug. 2019 Thurman returned to action in January and displayed obvious rust against Josesito Lopez but still won by decision. — Mike Jones, USA TODAY, "Boxer Keith Thurman on Saturday showdown with Manny Pacquiao: 'This is a legacy fight'," 19 July 2019 The lake is a picture of serenity with rental canoes and pontoon boats gliding across its placid surface mirroring the ivory and rust faces of surrounding mountains. — Katherine Rodeghier, Dallas News, "Discover Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite’s lesser-known neighbor," 16 July 2019 Instead, Fickel says, always wash your knives by hand and towel dry them immediately to prevent lingering moisture from causing any rust. — Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, "Our guide to knives will give you an edge in the kitchen," 10 July 2019 Blame the wet spring for the bad outbreak of daylily rust this year as well. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "There’s a simple solution for Knock Out roses with spotting," 4 May 2019 For fall florals, the palette gets a bit more autumnal, with grounds in flame orange, rust or navy. — Sharon Graubard, courant.com, "Fashion report: Cool classics for fall," 15 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
During the process, the bears are usually kept in tiny cages and live with a permanent catheter, to drain the bile, that can rust or otherwise degrade. — Jani Actman, National Geographic, "How can traditional Chinese medicine threaten wildlife?," 17 June 2019 The very first teaser for the new movie, written by Reitman and Gil Kenan, was a video of the rusting Ecto-1 sitting in a barn. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "Ghostbusters first look photo reveals Carrie Coon and the film's new family," 13 July 2019 Negri shows me the classic signs: bedsheets stuffed in the windows, rusting AC units in the side yards. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Meet the A.I. Landlord That’s Building a Single-Family-Home Empire," 21 June 2019 Green tile walls, rusting metal doors and long, rolling steel tables evoke an industrial space, but a swimming-pool ladder suggests a repurposed pool. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, "Coming-of-age story packs an emotional wallop with its premiere at opera festival," 18 June 2019 Many of the scooters appeared to be rusted, but the sheriff's office said the lights on one were still working. — Fox News, "Oregon deputies pull out 57 electric scooters, bikes out of Portland river," 27 June 2019 In all, the EPA’s divers found 74 drums, most of which were unlabeled and rusted out. — oregonlive.com, "With five barrels removed, Wallowa Lake recovery effort ends," 18 June 2019 An unspecified number were intact; others had rusted out. — Rob Davis | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive.com, "U.S. EPA finds 18 barrels, some intact, in Wallowa Lake recovery effort," 14 June 2019 Metal catheters may begin to rust or decompose within the bear’s body. — National Geographic, "Bear bile, explained," 12 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rust.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for rust
rust
noun
English Language Learners Definition of rust
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a reddish substance that forms on iron or some other metal usually when it comes in contact with moisture or air
: a disease that causes plants to develop reddish-brown spots
: a reddish-brown color
rust
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of rust (Entry 2 of 2)
: to form rust : to become rusty
: to cause rust to form on (something)
See the full definition for rust in the English Language Learners Dictionary
rust
noun
\ ˈrəst
\
\
Kids Definition of rust
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a reddish coating formed on metal (as iron) when it is exposed especially to moist air
2
: a plant disease caused by fungi that makes spots on plants
3
: a fungus that causes a rust
rust
verb
rusted;
rusting
Kids Definition of rust (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make or become rusty
rust
noun