A soft, whispering sound like leaves or paper moving gently, or the act of stealing livestock.
From Middle English 'rustel,' likely imitative in origin, mimicking the actual sound produced. The livestock-stealing sense emerged in American English in the 1880s, possibly blending 'rust' (move quietly) with the sound itself.
The word perfectly illustrates onomatopoeia—sound-words that imitate what they mean. But here's the twist: the same word became slang for cattle theft in the Wild West because thieves moved herds quietly at night, making rustling sounds!
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