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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:

Two black and rufous sengi, known as elephant shrews, have been born for the first time 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

In January I wrote about an unlikely visitor to Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax County: a rufous hummingbird.

From Washington Post Dec. 29, 2021

Bruce Reid, a Vicksburg resident and longtime bird-watcher, has seen three rufous hummingbirds at his home.

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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