(rush) v.i.
1. To move or go swiftly or with violence.
2. To make an attack; charge: with on or upon.
3. To proceed recklessly or rashly; plunge: with in or into.
—v.t.
4. To drive or push with haste or violence; hurry.
5. To do or perform hastily or hurriedly: to rush one's work.
6 a To make a sudden assault upon. b To capture by such an assault.
7. Slang To seek the favor of with assiduous attentions.
8. In football, to move (the ball) toward the goal of the other team. See synonyms under HUSTLE.
—noun
1. The act of rushing; a sudden turbulent movement, drive, or on set.
2. A sudden pressing demand; a run: a rush on foreign bonds.
3. A sudden exigency; urgent pressure: a rush of business.
4. A sudden flocking of people to a new region, especially to an area rumored to be rich in a precious mineral: a gold rush.
5. U.S. A general contest or scrimmage between students from different classes, as between sophomores and freshmen.
6. In football: a An attempt to take the ball through the opposing linemen and toward the goal. b Formerly, a player in the rush line: a center rush.
7. In motion pictures, the first film prints of a scene or series of scenes, before editing or selection. See synonyms under CAREER.
—adjective
1. Requiring urgency or haste: a rush order.
2. Characterized by much traffic, business, etc.: the rush hours.
3. Denoting a time or function set aside for fraternity or sorority members to meet new students to consider them for membership: rush week; a rush smoker. [<AF russher push, var. of russer, OF ruser, reuser push back, dodge <LL recusare push back. See RECUSANT.]

(rush) noun
1. Any one of various grass-like, usually aquatic herbs (family Juncaceae). The common or soft rush (Juncus effusus) grows in marshy ground and has soft and pliant, cylindrical, leafless stems: used for mats, seats of chairs, etc.
2. A thing of little or no value.
3. A rushlight. [OE rysc]

(rush), Benjamiń,
1745–1813, American physician, signer for Pennsylvania of the Declaration of Independence.