rust

plural rusts

1. countableuncountableThe deteriorated state of iron or steel as a result of moisture and oxidation; it consists mostly of iron(III) oxide (ferric oxide) and iron(II) oxide (ferrous oxide).

   The rust on my bicycle chain made cycling to work very dangerous.

2. countableuncountableA similar substance based on another metal.

   copper rust

3. countableuncountableA reddish-brown color.
4. countableuncountableA disease of plants caused by a reddish-brown fungus (Pucciniales).
5. countableuncountablehobbiesDamage caused to stamps and album pages by a fungal infection.

present singular third person rusts · participle present rusting · participle past rusted · past rusted

1. intransitiveTo oxidize, especially of iron or steel.

   The patio furniture had rusted in the wind-driven spray.

   2 more examples

   Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.

   1946, International Council of Religious Education, The New Covenant, Commonly Called the New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: Revised Standard Version, James 5:3, page 490

   The relegation of locomotives to storage seemed to be on a very unsystematic basis on all three principal Irish railways: while one member of a class was rusting in a yard, another might be hard at work in revenue-earning service—[…].

   1959 June 28, R. A. Young, “A Railway Holiday in Ireland—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 416

2. transitiveTo cause to oxidize.

   The wind-driven spray had thoroughly rusted the patio furniture.

3. intransitiveTo be affected with the parasitic fungus called rust.

   I am sorry to say that, contrary to the majority, I have to report that the forage rusted rather badly.

   1902 January 3, “Mapstone Oats: Further Experiences”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record, volume 4, number 22, page 688

4. ambitransitivefigurativelyTo (cause to) degenerate in idleness; to make or become dull or impaired by inaction.

   My knowledge of Spanish has rusted over the years.

   1 more example

   Must I rust in Egypt? never more / Appear in arms, and be the chief of Greece?

   1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy

5. intransitiveOf a black cat or its fur, to turn rust-coloured following long periods of exposure to sunlight.

   It's very common for black cats to rust during the summer.

plural Rusts

1. countableuncountableA surname.
2. countableuncountableA township in Montmorency County, Michigan, United States.
3. countableuncountableA municipality in Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
4. countableuncountableA small city in Burgenland, Austria.

1. computer languagesA multiparadigm programming language focused on safety, especially safe concurrency.

   In Rust, the compiler plays a gatekeeper role by refusing to compile code with these elusive bugs, including concurrency bugs.

   2019, Steve Klabnik, Carol Nichols, The Rust Programming Language, No Starch Press, →ISBN, page xxvi