bustle /ˈbʌsəl/noun 4verb 3forms 4phrases 1 noun4 •An excited activity; a stir.My father was in the meantime overjoyed and in the bustle of preparation only recognized in the melancholy of his niece the diffidence of a bride. — 1816 •(historical) A frame worn underneath a woman's skirt, typically only protruding from the rear as opposed to the earlier more circular hoops.A grotesque-looking lady wearing a bustle (Anna mentally undressed the woman, and was appalled at her hideousness), and a little girl laughing affectedly ran down the platform. — 1901 •A cover to protect and hide the back panel of a computer or other office machine. •(slang, no longer used) Money; cash. verb3 •To move busily and energetically with fussiness (often followed by about).The commuters bustled about inside the train station. •To teem or abound (usually followed by with); to exhibit an energetic and active abundance (of a thing).The train station was bustling with commuters. •To push around, to importune.Don’t bustle her or fuss or snatch: / A suitor looking at his watch / Is not a posture that persuades / Willing, much less reluctant maids. — 1981 formsbustled · bustling · bustles · bustleth Phrases with bustle hustle and bustleA large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.
