Rubidium noun [ New Latin , from Latin rubidus red, from rubere to be red. So called from two dark red spectroscopic lines by means of which it was discovered in the lepidolite from Rozena, Moravia. See Rubicund .] (Chemistry) A rare metallic element. It occurs quite widely, but in small quantities, and always combined. It is isolated as a soft yellowish white metal, analogous to potassium in most of its properties. Symbol Rb. Atomic weight, 85.2.

Rubific adjective [ Latin ruber red + facere to make.] Making red; as, rubific rays. Grew.

Rubification noun [ Confer French rubification .] The act of making red. Howell.

Rubiform adjective [ Latin ruber red + -form .] Having the nature or quality of red; as, the rubiform rays of the sun. [ R.] Sir I. newton.

Rubify transitive verb [ Confer French rubéfier . See Rubific .] To redden. [ R.] "Waters rubifying ." Chaucer.

Rubiginose, Rubiginous adjective [ Latin rubiginosus , from rubigo , robigo , rust: confer French rubigineux .] (Botany) Having the appearance or color of iron rust; rusty- looking.

Rubigo noun [ Latin rubigo , robigo , rust of metals, rust, blight.] (bot.) same as Rust , noun , 2.

Rubin noun [ Confer Late Latin rubinus , Italian rubino . See Ruby .] A ruby. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Rubious adjective [ Latin rubeus , from rubere to be red. See Rouge .] Red; ruddy. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Rubiretin noun [ Rubi an + Greek ... resin.] (Chemistry) One of the red dye products extracted from madder root, and probably identical with ruberythrinic acid.

Ruble noun [ Russian ruble .] The unit of monetary value in Russia. It is divided into 100 copecks, and in the gold coin of the realm (as in the five and ten ruble pieces) is worth about 77 cents. The silver ruble is a coin worth about 60 cents. [ Written also rouble .]

Rubric noun [ Middle English rubriche , Old French rubriche , French rubrique ( confer it. rubrica ), from Latin rubrica red earth for coloring, red chalk, the title of a law (because written in red), from ruber red. See red .] That part of any work in the early manuscripts and typography which was colored red, to distinguish it from other portions. Hence, specifically: (a) A titlepage, or part of it, especially that giving the date and place of printing; also, the initial letters, etc., when printed in red. (b) (Law books) The title of a statute; -- so called as being anciently written in red letters. Bell. (c) (Liturgies) The directions and rules for the conduct of service, formerly written or printed in red; hence, also, an ecclesiastical or episcopal injunction; -- usually in the plural.

All the clergy in England solemnly pledge themselves to observe the rubrics .

Hook.

(d) Hence, that which is established or settled, as by authority; a thing definitely settled or fixed. Cowper.

Nay, as a duty, it had no place or rubric in human conceptions before Christianity.

De Quincey.

Rubric transitive verb To adorn ith red; to redden; to rubricate. [ R.] Johnson.

Rubric, Rubrical adjective
1. Colored in, or marked with, red; placed in rubrics.

What though my name stood rubric on the walls
Or plaistered posts, with claps, in capitals?

Pope.

2. Of or pertaining to the rubric or rubrics. " Rubrical eccentricities." C. Kingsley.

Rubricate adjective [ Latin rubricatus past participle of rubricare to color red. See Rubric , noun ] Marked with red. Sp...lmman.

Rubricate transitive verb To mark or distinguished with red; to arrange as in a rubric; to establish in a settled and unchangeable form. Foxe.

A system . . . according to which the thoughts of men were to be classed and rubricated forever after.

Hare.

Rubrician, Rubricist noun One skilled in, or tenaciously adhering to, the rubric or rubrics.

Rubricity noun Redness. [ R.]

Rubstone noun A stone for scouring or rubbing; a whetstone; a rub.

Rubus noun [ Latin ] (Botany) A genus of rosaceous plants, including the raspberry and blackberry.

Ruby noun ; plural Rubies . [ French rubis (cf. Pr. robi ), Late Latin rubinus , robinus , from Latin rubeus red, reddish, akin to ruber . See Rouge , red .]
1. (Min.) A precious stone of a carmine red color, sometimes verging to violet, or intermediate between carmine and hyacinth red. It is a red crystallized variety of corundum.

» Besides the true or Oriental ruby above defined, there are the balas ruby , or ruby spinel , a red variety of spinel, and the rock ruby, a red variety of garnet.

Of rubies , sapphires, and pearles white.

Chaucer.

2. The color of a ruby; carmine red; a red tint.

The natural ruby of your cheeks.

Shak.

3. That which has the color of the ruby, as red wine. Hence, a red blain or carbuncle.

4. (Print.) See Agate , noun , 2. [ Eng.]

5. (Zoology) Any species of South American humming birds of the genus Clytolæma . The males have a ruby-colored throat or breast.

Ruby of arsenic , Ruby of sulphur (Chemistry) , a glassy substance of a red color and a variable composition, but always consisting chiefly of the disulphide of arsenic; -- called also ruby sulphur . -- Ruby of zinc (Min.) , zinc sulphide; the mineral zinc blende or sphalerite. -- Ruby silver (Min.) , red silver. See under Red .

Ruby adjective Ruby-colored; red; as, ruby lips.

Ruby transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Rubied ; present participle & verbal noun Rubying .] To make red; to redden. [ R.] Pope.

Ruby-tailed adjective Having the tail, or lower part of the body, bright red.

Rubytail noun (Zoology) A European gold wasp ( Chrysis ignita ) which has the under side of the abdomen bright red, and the other parts deep bluish green with a metallic luster. The larva is parasitic in the nests of other wasps and of bees.

Rubythroat noun (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of humming birds belonging to Trochilus , Calypte , Stellula , and allies, in which the male has on the throat a brilliant patch of red feathers having metallic reflections; esp., the common humming bird of the Eastern United States ( Trochilus colubris ).

Rubywood noun red sandalwood. See under Sandalwood .

Rucervine adjective [ New Latin Rucervus , the genus, from New Latin Ru sa a certain genus of deer (Malay r...sa deer) + Cervus .] (Zoology) Of, like, or pertaining to, a deer of the genus Rucervus , which includes the swamp deer of India.

Ruche noun [ French ruche ruche, beehive, Old French rusche a beehive, which was formerly made of the bark of trees; confer W. rhisg , rhisgl , bark, gael. rusg bark, rind.]
1. A plaited, quilled, or goffered strip of lace, net, ribbon, or other material, -- used in place of collars or cuffs, and as a trimming for women's dresses and bonnets. [ Written also rouche .]

2. A pile of arched tiles, used to catch and retain oyster spawn.

Ruching noun A ruche, or ruches collectively.

Ruck noun A roc. [ Obsolete or prov. Eng.] Drayton.

Ruck transitive verb & i. [ imperfect & past participle Rucked ; present participle & verbal noun Rucking .] [ Icel hrukkast to wrinkle, hrukka wrinkle, fold.] To draw into wrinkles or unsightly folds; to crease; as, to ruck up a carpet. Smart.

Ruck noun [ Icelandic hrukka . Confer Ruck , transitive verb ] A wrinkle or crease in a piece of cloth, or in needlework.

Ruck intransitive verb [ Confer Danish ruge to brood, to hatch.] To cower; to huddle together; to squat; to sit, as a hen on eggs. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.] Gower. South.

The sheep that rouketh in the fold.

Chaucer.

Ruck noun [ Confer Ruck .]
1. A heap; a rick. [ Prov Eng. & Scot.]

2. The common sort, whether persons or things; as, the ruck in a horse race. [ Colloq.]

The ruck in society as a whole.

Lond. Sat. Rev.

Ructation noun [ Latin ructatio , from ructare to belch: confer French ructation .] The act of belching wind.

Ruction noun An uproar; a quarrel; a noisy outbreak. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Rud noun [ Anglo-Saxon rudu , akin to reád red. √113. See Red , and confer Ruddy .]
1. Redness; blush. [ Obsolete]

2. Ruddle; red ocher.

3. (Zoology) The rudd.

Rud transitive verb To make red. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Rudbeckia noun [ New Latin So named after Olaf Rudebeck , a Swedish botanist.] (Botany) A genus of composite plants, the coneflowers, consisting of perennial herbs with showy pedunculate heads, having a hemispherical involucre, sterile ray flowers, and a conical chaffy receptacle. There are about thirty species, exclusively North American. Rudbeckia hirta , the black-eyed Susan, is a common weed in meadows.

Rudd noun [ See Rud , noun ] (Zoology) A fresh-water European fish of the Carp family ( Leuciscus erythrophthalmus ). It is about the size and shape of the roach, but it has the dorsal fin farther back, a stouter body, and red irises. Called also redeye , roud , finscale , and shallow . A blue variety is called azurine , or blue roach .

Rudder noun A riddle or sieve. [ Prov. Eng.]

Rudder noun [ Middle English rother , Anglo-Saxon rōðer a paddle; akin to Dutch roer rudder, oar, German ruder , Old High German roadar , Swedish roder , ror , Danish roer , ror . √ 8. See Row to propel with an oar, and confer Rother . ]
1. (Nautical) The mechanical appliance by means of which a vessel is guided or steered when in motion. It is a broad and flat blade made of wood or iron, with a long shank, and is fastened in an upright position, usually by one edge, to the sternpost of the vessel in such a way that it can be turned from side to side in the water by means of a tiller, wheel, or other attachment.

2. Fig.: That which resembles a rudder as a guide or governor; that which guides or governs the course.

For rhyme the rudder is of verses.

Hudibras.

Balance rudder (Nautical) , a rudder pivoted near the middle instead of at the edge, -- common on sharpies. -- Drop rudder (Nautical) , a rudder extending below the keel so as to be more effective in steering. -- Rudder chain (Nautical) , one of the loose chains or ropes which fasten the rudder to the quarters to prevent its loss in case it gets unshipped, and for operating it in case the tiller or the wheel is broken. -- Rudder coat (Nautical) , a covering of tarred canvas used to prevent water from entering the rudderhole. -- Rudder fish . (Zoology) (a) The pilot fish . (b) The amber fish ( Seriola zonata ), which is bluish having six broad black bands . (c) A plain greenish black American fish ( Leirus perciformis ); -- called also black rudder fish , logfish , and barrel fish . The name is also applied to other fishes which follow vessels. -- Rudder pendants (Nautical) , ropes connected with the rudder chains.

Rudder noun In an aircraft, a surface the function of which is to exert a turning moment about an axis of the craft.

Rudderhead noun (Nautical) The upper end of the rudderpost, to which the tiller is attached.

Rudderhole noun (Nautical) The hole in the deck through which the rudderpost passes.

Rudderless adjective Without a rudder.

Rudderpost noun (Nautical) The shank of a rudder, having the blade at one end and the attachments for operating it at the other.

Rudderstock noun (Nautical) The main part or blade of the rudder, which is connected by hinges, or the like, with the sternpost of a vessel.

Ruddied adjective Made ruddy or red.