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rufous

American  
[roo-fuhs] / ˈru fəs /

adjective

  1. An image of the word rufous as defined by reddish; tinged with red; brownish red.

    reddish; tinged with red; brownish red.


rufous British  
/ ˈruːfəs /

adjective

  1. reddish-brown

"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

Etymology

Origin of rufous

1775–85; < Latin rūf ( us ) red 1 + -ous


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Hertfordshire Zoo says the successful breeding programme is a "significant victory for the wider zoological community, with only a handful of black and rufous sengi currently residing in the UK".

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026

There are two variants of female cuckoos: a gray morph that looks like a sparrowhawk, and a rufous morph.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024

And even in the summer, rufous hummingbirds are usually found on the West Coast.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2021

“The rufous is the most common wintering hummingbird in the eastern U.S.,” said Erik Johnson of the National Audubon Society.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 14, 2020

He showed me out through the garden, where snow lay thin in the light of Gethen’s big, dull, rufous moon.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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