Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A low, heavy, continued rattling or jarring sound; a rumble. The peculiar rumbling of the bowels is technically called borborygmus.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • a. & n. from rumble, v. i.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Deep and slow sounding.
  • noun The sound of complaint.
  • verb Present participle of rumble.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective continuous full and low-pitched throbbing sound
  • noun a loud low dull continuous noise

Etymologies

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Examples

  • That left behind 97% of what they call the rumbling radioactive volcano including something like 216 tons of highly radioactive graphite and uranium.

    Adi Roche Interview with John LeKay 2007

  • As he bit into a roast beef sandwich aboard an Acela train rumbling toward New York recently, he looked out the window and observed: "We've got a hard road to go, but we've been down hard roads like this."

    Though often overshadowed, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine remains a tireless, loyal messenger Philip Rucker 2010

  • Resulting in much rumbling from the allies, but no serious intervention.

    Cheeseburger Gothic » A Sweet Jane alt-hist challenge! 2010

  • This canteen (with a funnel on its top, like a cavalier cap slouched over the eyes) was set on edge upon the puncheon, with the hole toward myself; and through this hole, which seemed puckered up like the mouth of a very precise old maid, the creature was emitting certain rumbling and grumbling noises which he evidently intended for intelligible talk.

    Archive 2008-12-01 2008

  • More rumbling from the weapon of choice, and Jones looked satisfied, “Yeah, that should buy us some time.”

    365 tomorrows » 2005 » August : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2005

  • Syracuse went ahead 7-0 late in the first quarter, despite some early rumbling from the home crowd.

    USATODAY.com - Scores 2005

  • PICCIOTTO: What happened was the rumbling was the South Tower collapsing.

    CNN Transcript May 5, 2002 2002

  • The rumbling was a soothing, subliminal presence coursing like a heatbeat through a great ship's deck, palpable everywhere you stood.

    The Kobayashi Maru Julia Ecklar 2000

  • 'This then was the noise I heard,' I said; 'the rumbling was the falling of the earth; the shriek was the tearing down of trees.'

    Aylwin Theodore Watts-Dunton 1873

  • The NBA is nothing if not a giant trade rumour but this one involving the Raptors piques your attention: The rumbling is the Raps considering sending underachieving point guard Jose Calderon to Sacramento for the Kevin Martin who doesn't curl.

    Toronto Sun 2010

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