2 → see also rustling
▸ rustle up PHRASAL VERB If you rustle up something to eat or drink, you make or prepare it quickly, with very little planning. □ [V P n] Let's see if somebody can rustle up a cup of coffee.
rus|tler /rʌ slə r / (rustlers ) N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft n N ] Rustlers are people who steal farm animals, especially cattle, horses, and sheep. [mainly AM ] □ …the old Wyoming Trail once used by cattle rustlers and outlaws.
rus|tling /rʌ səl I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [usu n N ] Rustling is the activity of stealing farm animals, especially cattle. [mainly AM ] □ …cattle rustling and horse stealing.
2 → see also rustle
rusty /rʌ sti/ (rustier , rustiest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A rusty metal object such as a car or a machine is covered with rust, which is a brown substance that forms on iron or steel when it comes into contact with water. □ …a rusty iron gate.
2 ADJ If a skill that you have or your knowledge of something is rusty , it is not as good as it used to be, because you have not used it for a long time. □ You may be a little rusty, but past experience and teaching skills won't have been lost.
3 ADJ Rusty is sometimes used to describe things that are reddish-brown in colour.
rut /rʌ t/ (ruts )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu in a N ] If you say that someone is in a rut , you disapprove of the fact that they have become fixed in their way of thinking and doing things, and find it difficult to change. You can also say that someone's life or career is in a rut . [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I don't like being in a rut–I like to keep moving on.
2 N‑COUNT A rut is a deep, narrow mark made in the ground by the wheels of a vehicle. □ [+ in ] Our driver slowed up as we approached the ruts in the road.
3 → see also rutted , rutting
ru|ta|ba|ga /ruː təbe I gə/ (rutabagas ) N‑VAR A rutabaga is a round yellow root vegetable with a brown or purple skin. [AM ] in BRIT, use swede
ruth|less /ruː θləs/
1 ADJ If you say that someone is ruthless , you mean that you disapprove of them because they are very harsh or cruel, and will do anything that is necessary to achieve what they want. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ in ] The President was ruthless in dealing with any hint of internal political dissent. ● ruth|less|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The Party has ruthlessly crushed any sign of organised opposition. ● ruth|less|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ …a powerful political figure with a reputation for ruthlessness.
2 ADJ A ruthless action or activity is done forcefully and thoroughly, without much concern for its effects on other people. □ [+ in ] Her lawyers have been ruthless in thrashing out a settlement. ● ruth|less|ly ADV □ …a ruthlessly efficient woman. ● ruth|less|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ …a woman with a brain and business acumen and a certain healthy ruthlessness.
rut|ted /rʌ t I d/
1 ADJ [oft adv ADJ ] A rutted road or track is very uneven because it has long, deep, narrow marks in it made by the wheels of vehicles. □ …an uncomfortable ride along deeply rutted roads.
2 → see also rut
rut|ting /rʌ t I ŋ/
1 ADJ Rutting male animals such as deer are in a period of sexual excitement and activity. □ …jokes about bitches in heat and rutting stags. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Rutting is also a noun. □ During the rutting season the big boars have the most terrible mating battles.
2 → see also rut
RV /ɑː r viː / (RVs ) N‑COUNT An RV is a van which is equipped with such things as beds and cooking equipment, so that people can live in it, usually while they are on holiday. RV is an abbreviation for 'recreational vehicle'. [mainly AM ] □ …a group of RVs pulled over on the side of the highway. in BRIT, usually use camper , camper van
rye /ra I /
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Rye is a cereal grown in cold countries. Its grains can be used to make flour, bread, or other foods. □ One of the first crops that I grew when we came here was rye.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [usu on N ] Rye is bread made from rye. [AM ] □ I was eating ham and Swiss cheese on rye.
rye bread N‑UNCOUNT Rye bread is brown bread made with rye flour. □ …two slices of rye bread.
rye grass also ryegrass N‑UNCOUNT Rye grass is a type of grass that is grown for animals such as cows to eat.
Ss
S , s /e s/ (S's, s's )
1 N‑VAR S is the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet.
2 S or s is an abbreviation for words beginning with s, such as 'south', 'seconds', and 'son'.
SUFFIX -s
1 is added to a verb to form the third person singular, present tense. For example, in 'he never thinks about it', the letter s at the end of the word ' thinks ' shows that the verb agrees with the third person pronoun ' he '.