▪ I. rousting vbl. n.1
see roust v.3
▪ II. rousting, vbl. n.2 U.S. colloq.
(ˈraʊstɪŋ)
[f. roust v.2 + -ing1.]
(An act of) police harassment, a police raid (see also quot. 1942).
| 1942 Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §490/5 Rousting,..the act of causing a crush in a crowd or jostling the victim in order to pick his pockets. 1960 Washington Post 25 Jan. 1 There's more vice on Pacific Heights and Nob Hill and there's no rousting (police raiding) up there. 1968 S. Ellin Valentine Estate ii. vi. 51 Rousting was the word for it. Keep pushing a man until he either left the territory or did something he could be nailed for. 1972 B. Garfield Line of Succession i. 75 The prisoners each morning complained to their lawyers of the nightly roustings. 1975 High Times Dec. 31/1 So far, however, the little hungo town has been spared the midnight roustings. |