rush

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See also: Rush and RUSH

English[edit]

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Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English risshe, rusch, risch, from Old English rysċ, rysċe, risċ, risċe, from a merger of Proto-West Germanic *riskijā, from Proto-Indo-European *resg- (“to weave”) and Proto-West Germanic *ruskijā, borrowed from Latin rūscum (“butcher's broom”), of unknown origin + *-jā (animal and plant suffix). Cognates include West Frisian risk, Dutch rus (“bulrush”), Norwegian Bokmål rusk, dialectal Norwegian ryskje (“hair-grass”).

Noun[edit]

rush (plural rushes)

  1. Any of several stiff plants of the genus Juncus, or the family Juncaceae, having hollow or pithy stems and small flowers, and often growing in marshes or near water.
  2. The stem of such plants used in making baskets, mats, the seats of chairs, etc.
  3. The merest trifle; a straw.
    • 1712, John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull
      John Bull's friendship is not worth a rush.
  4. A wick.
Synonyms[edit]
  • (plant of the genus Juncus): juncus
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 2[edit]

Perhaps from Middle English ruschen, russchen (“to rush, startle, make a loud rushing noise”), from Old English hrysċan (“to jolt, startle”), from Proto-Germanic *hurskijaną (“to startle, drive”), from *hurskaz (“fast, rapid, quick”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run, hurry”).

Cognate with Old High German hurscan (“to speed, accelerate”), Old English horsc (“quick, quick-witted, clever”).

etymology note

An alternative etymology traces rush via Middle English rouschen (“to rush”) from Old English *rūscian (“to rush”) from Proto-Germanic *rūskōną (“to rush, storm, be fierce, be cruel”), a variant (with formative k) of Proto-Germanic *rūsōną (“to be cruel, storm, rush”) from Proto-Indo-European *(o)rewə- (“to drive, move, agitate”), making it akin to Old High German rosc, rosci (“quick”), Middle Low German rūschen (“to rush”), Middle High German rūschen, riuschen (“to rush”) (German rauschen (“to rush”)), North Frisian ruse (“to rush”), Middle Dutch ruuscen (“to make haste”), Middle Dutch rūsen (“to rush”) (Dutch ruisen (“to rush”)), Danish ruse (“to rush”), Swedish rusa (“to rush”). Compare Middle High German rūsch (“a charge, rush”). Influenced by Middle English russhen (“to force back”) from Anglo-Norman russher, russer from Old French ruser, rëuser.

Alternatively, according to the OED, perhaps an adaptation of Anglo-Norman russher, russer (“to force back, down, out of place, by violent impact", "to pull out or drag off violently or hastily”), from Old French re(h)usser, ruser (although the connection of the forms with single -s- and double -ss- is dubious; also adopted in English ruse; French ruser (“to retreat, drive back”)), from an assumed Vulgar Latin *refusō and Latin refundō (“I cause to flow back”), although connection to the same Germanic root is also possible. More at rouse.

Noun[edit]

rush (plural rushes)

  1. A sudden forward motion.
  2. A surge.
    A rush of business can be difficult to handle effectively for its unexpected volume.
  3. General haste.
    Many errors were made in the rush to finish.
  4. A rapid, noisy flow.
    a rush of water;  a rush of footsteps
  5. (military) A sudden attack; an onslaught.
  6. (video games) The strategy of attacking an opponent with a large swarm of weak units, rather than spending time developing their abilities.
    Synonym: zerg
  7. (contact sports) The act of running at another player to block or disrupt play.
    a rush on the quarterback
  8. (American football, dated) A rusher; a lineman.
    the center rush, whose place is in the center of the rush line
  9. A sudden, brief exhilaration, for instance the pleasurable sensation produced by a stimulant.
    The rollercoaster gave me a rush.
  10. (US, figuratively) A regulated period of recruitment in fraternities and sororities.
    rush week
  11. (US, dated, college slang) A perfect recitation.
  12. (croquet) A roquet in which the object ball is sent to a particular location on the lawn.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
surge — See also translations at surge
military: sudden attack — See also translations at onslaught
video games: act of running at another player with large swarm of weak units — See also translations at zerg
American football: rusher — see lineman

Verb[edit]

rush (third-person singular simple present rushes, present participle rushing, simple past and past participle rushed)

  1. (transitive or intransitive) To hurry; to perform a task with great haste.
    rush one's dinner;   rush off an email response
    • c. 1683, Robert West, The further Exmaination of Robert West of the Middle-Temple, Barrister at Law
      A party of men […] shoud be ready to rush out; and upon the noise of the first shot immediately run down to the Gate and break in.
    • 2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:
      Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.
  2. (intransitive) To flow or move forward rapidly or noisily.
    armies rush to battle;   waters rush down a precipice.
  3. (intransitive, soccer) To dribble rapidly.
  4. (transitive or intransitive, contact sports) To run directly at another player in order to block or disrupt play.
  5. (transitive) To cause to move or act with unusual haste.
    Don't rush your client or he may withdraw.
  6. (intransitive, military) To make a swift or sudden attack.
  7. (military) To swiftly attack without warning.
  8. (video games, slang, transitive) To attack (an opponent) with a large swarm of units.
    Synonym: zerg
  9. (transitive or intransitive, US, college) To attempt to join a fraternity or sorority; to undergo hazing or initiation in order to join a fraternity or sorority.
  10. (transitive) To transport or carry quickly.
    The shuttle rushes passengers from the station to the airport.
  11. (transitive or intransitive, croquet) To roquet an object ball to a particular location on the lawn.
  12. (US, slang, dated) To recite (a lesson) or pass (an examination) without an error.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
football: to dribble rapidly — See also translations at dribble
video games: to attack with a large swarm of units — See also translations at zerg

Adjective[edit]

rush (not comparable)

  1. Performed with, or requiring urgency or great haste, or done under pressure.
    a rush job
Usage notes[edit]

Used only before a noun.

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From English rush

Noun[edit]

rush n (definite singular rushet, indefinite plural rush, definite plural rusha or rushene)

  1. a rush (Etymology 2)

Derived terms[edit]

References[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From English rush

Noun[edit]

rush n (definite singular rushet, indefinite plural rush, definite plural rusha)

  1. a rush (Etymology 2)

Derived terms[edit]

References[edit]

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