Library / English Dictionary

RUMBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A fight between rival gangs of adolescents

Synonyms:

gang fight; rumble

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("rumble" is a kind of...):

combat; fight; fighting; scrap (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A servant's seat (or luggage compartment) in the rear of a carriage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("rumble" is a kind of...):

seat (any support where you can sit (especially the part of a chair or bench etc. on which you sit))

Holonyms ("rumble" is a part of...):

carriage; equipage; rig (a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A loud low dull continuous noise

Example:

they heard the rumbling of thunder

Synonyms:

grumble; grumbling; rumble; rumbling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("rumble" is a kind of...):

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Derivation:

rumble (to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds)

rumble (make a low noise)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

To utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds

Example:

Stones grumbled down the cliff

Synonyms:

growl; grumble; rumble

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "rumble" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

rumble; rumbling (a loud low dull continuous noise)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a low noise

Example:

rumbling thunder

Synonyms:

grumble; rumble

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "rumble" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence examples:

Cars rumble in the streets

The streets rumble with cars

Derivation:

rumble; rumbling (a loud low dull continuous noise)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Before they had gone far they heard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

And away he went, rumbling out the words with his strong voice and a relish which was good to see as well as hear.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The deep-sea voices of these men, rumbling and bellowing in the confined space, produced a wild effect.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There was deep-mouthed shouting of men, frightened shrieks of women, howling and barking of curs, and over all a sullen, thunderous rumble, indescribably menacing and terrible.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The human ear can detect a wide range of frequencies, from the low rumbles of distant thunder to the high-pitched whine of a mosquito.

(Hearing different frequencies, NIH)

“I have also had a rumble through the Ragged Shaw. Now, Watson, there is cocoa ready in the next room. I must beg you to hurry, for we have a great day before us.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The howl and roar, the rattling of the doors and windows, the rumbling in the chimneys, the apparent rocking of the very house that sheltered me, and the prodigious tumult of the sea, were more fearful than in the morning.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

When Lady Russell not long afterwards, was entering Bath on a wet afternoon, and driving through the long course of streets from the Old Bridge to Camden Place, amidst the dash of other carriages, the heavy rumble of carts and drays, the bawling of newspapermen, muffin-men and milkmen, and the ceaseless clink of pattens, she made no complaint.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Also a low growl rumbled in his throat as warning that he was not to be trifled with.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

With every rumble of wheels, too, her eyes would glance towards the door, and her hands steal up to smooth her pretty black hair.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)