\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.

\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.

\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.