*rubi*

{ } a. Of or pertaining to cherubs; angelic. “The cherubic host.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The Hebrew plural of Cherub.. Cf. Seraphim. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Cherubims, in the King James version of the bible, is an incorrect form, made by adding the English plural termination to the Hebrew plural cherubim instead of to the singular cherub. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Cherubic; angelic. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cherub. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Ethmoid + turbinal. ] See Turbinal. -- n. An ethmoturbinal bone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Furbish. ] To rub up: to furbish. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Hydro-, 2 + bilirubin. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A body formed from bilirubin, identical with urobilin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Indigo + L. ruber red. ] (Physiol. Chem.) Same as Urrhodin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Indigo + L. ruber red. ] (Chem.) A substance isomeric with, and resembling, indigo blue, and accompanying it as a side product, in its artificial production. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. ] (Bot.) A genus of bitter aromatic plants, sometimes used in medicine; hoarhound. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. rubia madder, fr. rubeus red. ] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a very large natural order of plants (Rubiaceae) named after the madder (Rubia tinctoria), and including about three hundred and seventy genera and over four thousand species. Among them are the coffee tree, the trees yielding peruvian bark and quinine, the madder, the quaker ladies, and the trees bearing the edible fruits called genipap and Sierre Leone peach, besides many plants noted for the beauty or the fragrance of their blossoms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. rubia madder, fr. rubeus red. ] (Chem) A substance found in madder root, and probably identical with ruberythrinic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. rubia madder, fr. rubeus red. ] (Chem.) One of several color-producing glycosides found in madder root. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) pertaining to, or derived from, rubian; specifically, designating an acid called also ruberythrinic acid. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A ribble. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. ] Colored a prevailing red, bay, or black, with flecks of white or gray especially on the flanks; -- said of horses. Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. rubacelle, rubicelle, fr. L. rubeus red, reddish. ] (Min.) A variety of ruby of a yellowish red color, from Brazil. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Anc. geog.) A small river which separated Italy from Cisalpine Gaul, the province alloted to Julius Caesar. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ By leading an army across this river, contrary to the prohibition of the civil government at Rome, Caesar precipitated the civil war which resulted in the death of Pompey and the overthrow of the senate; hence, the phrase
to pass the Rubicon or
cross the Rubicon signifies to take the decisive step by which one is committed to a hazardous enterprise from which there is no retreat. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. rubicundus, fr. rubere to be red, akin to ruber red. See Red. ] Inclining to redness; ruddy; red. “His rubicund face.” Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. rubicunditas. ] The quality or state of being rubicund; ruddiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

To parade your rubicundity and gray hairs. Walpole. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to rubidium; containing rubidium. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A nitrogenous base homologous with pyridine, obtained from coal tar as an oily liquid, C11H17N; also, any one of the group od metameric compounds of which rubidine is the type. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. L. rubidus red, fr. rubere to be red. So called from two dark red spectroscopic lines by means of which it was discovered in the lepidolite from Rozena, Moravia. See Rubicund. ] (Chem.) A rare metallic element of the alkali metal series, atomic number 37. It occurs quite widely, but in small quantities, and always combined. It is isolated as a soft yellowish white metal, analogous to potassium in most of its properties. Symbol Rb. Atomic weight, 85.48. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ruber red + facere to make. ] Making red; as, rubific rays. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. rubification. ] The act of making red. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ruber red + -form. ] Having the nature or quality of red; as, the rubiform rays of the sun. [ R. ] Sir I. newton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. F. rubéfier. See Rubific. ] To redden. [ R. ] “Waters rubifying.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , a. [ L. rubiginosus, fr. rubigo, robigo, rust: cf. F. rubigineux. ] (Bot.) Having the appearance or color of iron rust; rusty-looking. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. rubigo, robigo, rust of metals, rust, blight. ] (bot.) same as Rust, n., 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. LL. rubinus, It. rubino. See Ruby. ] A ruby. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. rubeus, fr. rubere to be red. See Rouge. ] Red; ruddy. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]