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Showing results for rufous. Search instead for rufous-buff.

rufous

American  
[roo-fuhs] / ˈru fəs /

adjective

  1. 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

"Then the advantage of the rufous morph comes into play, as it is less common and has not been learned by the hosts," says Wolf.

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

The face that turned towards me, reddened and era-tered by firelight and shadow, was as flat and cruel as the moon, Winter’s dull rufous moon.

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

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