a thorough search for something (often causing disorder or confusion)
<noun.act> he gave the attic a good rummage but couldn't find his skis [ verb ]
search haphazardly
<verb.contact> We rummaged through the drawers
Rummage \Rum"mage\ (?; 48), n. [For roomage, fr. room; hence originally, a making room, a packing away closely. See {Room}.] 1. (Naut.) A place or room for the stowage of cargo in a ship; also, the act of stowing cargo; the pulling and moving about of packages incident to close stowage; -- formerly written romage. [Obs.]
2. A searching carefully by looking into every corner, and by turning things over.
He has made such a general rummage and reform in the office of matrimony. --Walpole.
{Rummage sale}, a clearance sale of unclaimed goods in a public store, or of odds and ends which have accumulated in a shop. --Simmonds.
Rummage \Rum"mage\, v. i. To search a place narrowly.
I have often rummaged for old books in Little Britain and Duck Lane. --Swift.
[His house] was haunted with a jolly ghost, that . . . . . . rummaged like a rat. --Tennyson.
Rummage \Rum"mage\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rummaged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Rummaging}.] 1. (Naut.) To make room in, as a ship, for the cargo; to move about, as packages, ballast, so as to permit close stowage; to stow closely; to pack; -- formerly written {roomage}, and {romage}. [Obs.]
They might bring away a great deal more than they do, if they would take pain in the romaging. --Hakluyt.
2. To search or examine thoroughly by looking into every corner, and turning over or removing goods or other things; to examine, as a book, carefully, turning over leaf after leaf.
He . . . searcheth his pockets, and taketh his keys, and so rummageth all his closets and trunks. --Howell.
What schoolboy of us has not rummaged his Greek dictionary in vain for a satisfactory account! --M. Arnold.
A second woman would sneak into the house and rummage through bedroom dressers and closets in search of jewelry, expensive heirlooms and silver, Kagele said.
Reflecting the extremely reasonable prices (from Pounds 2 to Pounds 500), be prepared for a real rummage, and pencil an entire afternoon into your diary.
Workers still rummage after that elusive petty-cash slip and usually tear up several false starts before getting it right.
The Shakespeare Festival of Dallas held a rummage sale Saturday and Sunday to get rid of many unneeded costumes and props.
Last and Least: Like a musical rummage sale, David Bowie's "Never Let Me Down" (EMI America) offers a few finds amid the jumble of second-hand styles.
In other words, it's OK for someone else to rummage through it.