Bustle
/ˈbʌs.əl/noun
To move or act in a hurried, busy, or noisy way.
Did you know?The word likely developed in Middle English from a sense of pushing or shaking about, and its later meaning captures the whole social theater of hurried activity.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
ME
buslen
“to move about busily; to stir or fuss”
15th–16th Century
English
bustle
“to make a commotion; to hurry about energetically”
17th–18th Century
English
bustle
“busy activity, fuss, or stir”
Modern English
English
bustle
“to move or act in a hurried, noisy, or energetic way”
Explore more surprising origins