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rust

Pronunciation: /ɹʌst/

The English word “rust” has 10 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The deteriorated state of iron or steel as a result of moisture and oxidation; it consists mostly of iron(III) oxide (ferric oxide) and iron(II) oxide (ferrous oxide).
  2. A similar substance based on another metal.
  3. A reddish-brown color.
  4. A disease of plants caused by a reddish-brown fungus (Pucciniales).
  5. Damage caused to stamps and album pages by a fungal infection.

verb

  1. To oxidize, especially of iron or steel.
  2. To cause to oxidize.
  3. To be affected with the parasitic fungus called rust.
  4. To (cause to) degenerate in idleness; to make or become dull or impaired by inaction.
  5. Of a black cat or its fur, to turn rust-coloured following long periods of exposure to sunlight.

Etymology

From Middle English rust, rost, roust, from Old English rust, rūst (“rust”), from Proto-West Germanic *rust, from Proto-Germanic *rustaz (“rust”), from Proto-Indo-European *rudʰso- (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”). Cognate with Scots roust (“rust”), Saterland Frisian rust (“rust”), West Frisian roast (“rust”), Dutch roest (“rust”), German Rost (“rust”), Danish rust (“rust”),…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.