rustler

noun — 4 senses

rustler

noun

Etymology From rustle + -er.

1

One who rustles; a cattle (or other livestock) thief.

  • Two years have now passed since Hayward’s farm in north Wales was raided, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of bees. But the rustlers have continued to be active. Most recently they have targeted the property of one of her Anglesey neighbours, where around 40,000 bees were taken last month.2017 September 23, “From north Wales to Norfolk, distraught beekeepers ask: who’s stealing our hives?”, in The Observer:
2

A bovine animal that can care for itself in any circumstances.

3

US, Western, Dated, Especially, Slang An alert, energetic, driving person.

4

That which makes a rustling noise.

  • Like this weekend, with moderate temperatures, the sky a bowl of blue, and the wind not a cold curse or a hot furnace, but a bit of a leaf-rustler, a cooling refreshment.1987-1989, Thomas J. Murn, Outside View: nature columns from the Evansville Review:
Synonyms
cattle rustler, abactor, duffer, rustler
Hypernyms
criminal, thief
Hyponyms
horse thief, sheep rustler, sheepstealer, napper

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.