noun / verb
rust
RUHST/rʌst/
Reddish-brown corrosion of iron.
Rust covers most of the steel hinge in flaky patches.
Etymology
Old English rust already named this coating on iron. Its relationship to rudu, “redness,” connects the name with the corrosion’s characteristic reddish color.
In context
the iron oxide that we fight with on bodywork is called rust, but they're both basically the same thing. Rust is the iconic corrosion, partly because there's so much steel and iron around us and also because it's bright orange.
More examples
- Iron tools rust quickly when left out in the rain.
- She scrubs the rust off the garden shears.
- The old bolt has rusted, making it difficult to remove.
Forms
rust · rusts · rusted · rusting
rusty adjective — Covered with or damaged by rust.