Word of The Day for Tuesday, March 22, 2011

rubicund

ru•bi•cund (ROO-bi-kuhnd)  adj

Definition:
1. red or reddish; ruddy
2. inclined to a healthy rosiness; ruddy complexion


rubicundity noun

Origin:
1495–1505; from Fr. rubicond or directly from L. rubicundus, from rubere "to be red"

Related:
Synonyms: florid, healthy, red, reddish, rosy, rubescent, ruddy
Related Words: rubescent

Sentence Examples:
• The next victim was a big, rubicund, healthy-looking man, clean shaved, with light-blue eyes that were slightly magnified by the glasses of his gold-mounted spectacles. -The Wonder, J. D. Beresford

• One of the civilians is a very small man with a black beard, the only thing notable about him being his nose, which, to judge from its size, ought not to belong to him. The other is a rubicund youth, who seems to have arrived but recently in the country. -The Social Cancer, José  Rizal

• The old man rose with hospitable haste, and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival.  The new arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said, "Tut, tut!"  and coughed gently as her husband entered the room, followed by a tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage. -The Monkey's Paw, W.W. Jacobs

Sources: Dictionary.com, Free Dictionary, Online Etymology

Word-E: A Word-A-Day

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