ruddle

American  

[ruhd-l] / ˈrʌd l /

noun

1. a red variety of ocher, used for marking sheep, coloring, etc.

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verb (used with object)

ruddled, ruddling

1. to mark or color with ruddle.

ruddle British  

/ ˈrʌdəl /

noun

1. a red ochre, used esp to mark sheep

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verb

1. (tr) to mark (sheep) with ruddle

Other Word Forms

• unruddled
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of ruddle

1530–40; dial. rud ( see rudd) + -le

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ruddle ruddled ruddling

Jud turn’d rahnd an gurned at th’ frunt o’ th’ show wi’ his faace aw ruddle.

From English Dialects From the Eighth Century to the Present Day by Walter W. (Walter William) Skeat

The distorted gibbous disk lifted itself above the edge—red as ruddle and enlarged by the refraction: a giant coppery moon, weird and magical.

From Greene Ferne Farm by Richard Jefferies

Lemnian earth, ruddle, and very many minerals do this, and yet they are fatuously said to attract.

From On the magnet, magnetick bodies also, and on the great magnet the earth a new physiology, demonstrated by many arguments & experiments by William Gilbert

Ducange, with the authorities quoted above, make its colour green; but the sinoper, or ruddle of commerce, is of a dark red or purplish hue.

From The Curiosities of Heraldry by Mark Antony Lower

For my share of disguising, I now rubbed together some ruddle and dry soil, and the mixture gave a necessary touch of coarseness to her hands.

From The Yeoman Adventurer by George W. Gough

Every one of these ruddled workers, slouching with his dog at his heels to see something of the fight, was a true unit of his race.

From The Croxley Master: A Great Tale Of The Prize Ring by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

His appearance much resembled that of the inhabitants of New South Wales; he had also marks raised upon the skin, and his face was blackened and hair ruddled as is sometimes practised by them.

From A Voyage to Terra Australis — Volume 1 by Matthew Flinders

"I know you're a ruddled old hunks," said Mount, carelessly.

From Cardigan by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

Even to-day those ruddled drawings can set a spell.

From Highways and Byways in Surrey by Hugh Thomson

She sat now with bowed back by the empty fireplace, and looked across at Nigel with all the harsh lines of her old ruddled face softening into love and pride.

From Sir Nigel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Three hundred pistoles!" he echoed; "for ruddling the blades and risking the lives of nine of the finest swordsmen in Europe?

From The Duke's Motto A Melodrama by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy

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