ferruginous

[ fuh-roo-juh-nuh s ]

/ fəˈru dʒə nəs /

adjective

Geology. iron-bearing: ferruginous clays.

of the color of iron rust.

Nearby words

ferrous sulfide, ferrous sulphate, ferrovanadium, ferrozirconium, ferrugination, ferruginous, ferruginous duck, ferrule, ferrum, ferry, ferry bridge

Origin of ferruginous

1655–65; < Latin ferrūginus rust-colored, derivative of ferrūgin-, stem of ferrūgō iron-rust, derivative of ferrum iron; see -ous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ferruginous

In other forms the union of the grains by a calcareous or ferruginous cement necessitates the existence of distinct pylomes.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 6|Various
The sides are covered with ferruginous and sulphurous pyrites and scoriæ, which make the ascent difficult.
A Visit to the Philippine Islands|John Bowring
I have before mentioned that there are many mineral waters in the island—sulphurous and ferruginous—at Antipolo.
A Visit to the Philippine Islands|John Bowring
The colors vary from smoky to fuliginous, olive and yellow, and the spores are ferruginous.
Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, Edible, Poisonous, etc.|George Francis Atkinson

It is incrusted in a mass of ferruginous limestone, and weighs 180 lbs.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 10, Issue 286, December 8, 1827|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ferruginous

ferruginous

/ (fɛˈruːdʒɪnəs) /

adjective

(of minerals, rocks, etc) containing irona ferruginous clay

rust-coloured

Word Origin for ferruginous

C17: from Latin ferrūgineus of a rusty colour, from ferrūgō iron rust, from ferrum iron

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for ferruginous

ferruginous

[ fə-rōō′jə-nəs ]

adj.

Associated with or containing iron.

Having the color of iron rust; reddish-brown.