As a verb, it means to move around quickly and busily. As a noun, it refers to noisy, energetic activity in a place.
From early 17th-century English, originally meaning 'to act with vigor or fuss.' Its exact origin is uncertain, but it may be related to older words meaning 'to rush' or 'to shake.' Over time, it shifted from describing individual movement to describing the overall busy feel of a place.
People used to say someone 'bustled about' a room the way we now say someone is 'rushing around.' The word captures not just motion, but a kind of slightly chaotic energy. When you picture a busy train station or a crowded market, you're basically visualizing 'bustle.'
'Bustle' historically referred to a padded undergarment used in 19th-century Western women’s fashion to shape the back of a skirt, reflecting gendered clothing norms and expectations. The verb 'to bustle' (to move energetically) is older and more general, but descriptions of 'bustling housewives' have reinforced gendered domestic roles.
Use the fashion sense historically and the verb sense neutrally; avoid using 'bustle' only for women’s activity in domestic contexts.
["move briskly","bustling activity","busy movement"]
Women who wore bustles also participated in political, intellectual, and labor movements; focusing solely on restrictive fashion can obscure their broader roles.
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