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
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. 2019 Our prediction ] Turnbull’s night His arm looked fine, but clearly, there was going to be some rust to shake off – the rookie had only thrown bullpen sessions in the time between. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers observations: Spencer Turnbull rusty in 8-5 loss," 12 July 2019 So perhaps there will be a little rust to shake off in Omaha, but the Cards would surely take that over having to exhaust their pitching staff in a super regional that turned into a three-game battle of attrition. — Gentry Estes, The Courier-Journal, "3 takeaways from Louisville baseball's dream NCAA Super Regional," 8 June 2019 Using a razor that is dry, sharp, and rust-free will always give you the closest, cleanest shave possible. — Deanna Pai, Glamour, "How to Shave Your Legs Perfectly," 30 June 2019 Stainless-steel clouds ring the top of the rust-brown structure, which was erected after the original two towers had to be relocated with the construction of State Route 125. — Martina Schimitschek, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fletcher Hills: A long-established neighborhood with easy access to freeways, shopping and good schools," 30 June 2019 Working evenings as a janitor for meager wages helped me get through college in the daytime and kept gas in my rust-bucket car. — WSJ, "The $15 Minimum Wage and Restaurants," 28 June 2019 By the early 1900s sleek and rust-resistant stainless steel started to make an appearance. — Hannah Whitaker, National Geographic, "Why carrying your own fork and spoon helps solve the plastic crisis," 28 June 2019 Climbing to the top of the Urucum plateau, a shock of rust-red land thrust 1 kilometer above the Brazilian savanna, is a journey into Earth's deep past. — Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, "Dinosaur-age landscapes lurk in Southern Hemisphere," 26 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
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 2019 Even the slightest bit of dampness will cause the pan to rust. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How To Clean a Cast-Iron Pan," 3 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