English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

rugged

adj

Having a rough, uneven, or harsh terrain.

ruggedness

noun

How rough, tough or uneven something is.

rugose

adj

Covered with wrinkles, creases or ridges.

rugrat

noun

(informal) A small child, especially a toddler.

Rui

name

A masculine given name common in Portuguese-speaking countries, a form of Roderick.

ruin

verb

To destroy, spoil, or severely damage something so it no longer works or pleases.

ruinate

verb

To destroy something completely.

ruination

noun

The state or process of being completely ruined or destroyed.

ruined

adj

Destroyed, badly damaged, or left in a state of decay.

ruining

noun

The act or process of destroying or spoiling something.

ruinous

adj

Causing great harm or destruction.

Ruiz

name

A Spanish surname meaning "son of Ruy," a short form of Roderick.

rukia

noun

Any bird of the genus Rukia, a small group of white-eye songbirds native to the islands of Micronesia.

rulable

adj

Able to be governed or controlled.

rule

noun

An official regulation or guideline that governs behaviour or a process.

ruled

adj

Marked with straight printed or drawn lines.

ruler

noun

A flat, straight-edged tool marked with measurement units, used for drawing lines or measuring length.

Rules

noun

The set of official regulations that govern a game, organization, or activity.

ruling

noun

An official decision made by a judge or other authority on a legal or procedural question.

rum

noun

A strong alcoholic spirit distilled from sugarcane juice or molasses.

rumba

noun

A lively Cuban dance with partners, danced to a slow 4-beat rhythm.

rumble

noun

A deep, continuous, low sound, like distant thunder.

rumbling

noun

A continuous deep, low sound, or (often plural) early signs of trouble or unrest.

rumbullion

noun

Another word for rum, an alcoholic drink distilled from sugarcane, or similar spirits.

rumbustion

noun

Another term for rum, or similar spirits distilled from sugar cane.

rumen

noun

The first compartment of the stomach of a cow or other ruminant.

Rumi

noun

The Latin-alphabet writing system used to write Malay and Indonesian, as opposed to the Jawi Arabic-based script.

ruminant

noun

A mammal, such as a cow or deer, that chews cud and belongs to the suborder Ruminantia.

ruminate

verb

If an animal such as a cow does this, it brings food back up from its stomach to chew it again.

rumination

noun

The habit of going over the same distressing thought again and again without ever reaching a resolution.

ruminator

noun

A person who ruminates, meditates, or reflects.

rummage

verb

To search through something messily, moving things aside carelessly.

rummaging

noun

The act of searching messily through something.

rummery

noun

A bar where rum is the main drink sold.

rummy

noun

A card game where players form sets or sequences of matching cards.

rumor

noun

A piece of information or claim circulating by word of mouth, without a confirmed source.

rumored

adj

Said to be true by unconfirmed reports.

rumour

noun

British spelling of rumor: an unconfirmed piece of information spread by word of mouth.

rump

noun

The hindquarters or buttocks of an animal or person.

Rumpelstiltskin

noun

A classic fairy tale in which a small, mischievous imp spins straw into gold for a miller's daughter, then demands her firstborn child unless she can guess his name.

rumple

verb

To crease or crumple something, especially cloth or hair.

rumpus

noun

A loud, chaotic disturbance or quarrel.

rumpy

noun

A Manx cat that has almost no tail, valued highly by breeders of the breed.

rumsen

noun

A group belonging to the Ohlone Native American people, originally from the Monterey Bay area of northern California.

Rumsfeld

name

A surname of German origin, notably that of Donald Rumsfeld, a former U.S. Secretary of Defense.

rumspringa

noun

A time in the teenage years, roughly starting at 14 to 16, when some Amish young people have more freedom before deciding whether to be baptised into the community or leave it.

run

verb

To move quickly on foot, faster than walking.

runabout

noun

A small, light vehicle meant for short trips — historically a small car or horse-drawn carriage.

runaround

noun

Evasive or misleading treatment meant to delay or avoid giving someone a straight answer.

runaway

noun

Someone (or something) that has fled or escaped, especially a person who has left home.

rundown

noun

A brief summary or overview of a situation.

rune

noun

A letter from an ancient Germanic alphabet, or more loosely, any mysterious or magical symbol.

rung

noun

A horizontal bar forming a step on a ladder, or the crossbar between chair legs.

runish

adj

Connected with runes or the runic alphabet.

Runkle

noun

A wrinkle or crease.

runlet

noun

An old measurement of wine equal to 18 gallons.

runnel

noun

A small, narrow stream of water.

runner

noun

A person who runs, especially as a sport or form of exercise.

runners

noun

Casual, informal British/Irish/Australian term for athletic shoes.

runniness

noun

How runny or watery something is.

running

noun

The activity of moving fast on foot, whether as exercise, sport, or everyday movement.

runny

adj

Thinner than expected and prone to flowing or dripping.

runoff

noun

Rain or irrigation water that flows off the surface of the land instead of soaking in.

runs

noun

Informal term for diarrhea.

runt

noun

The smallest or weakest animal in a litter.

runtime

noun

The period during which a program is actually running, as opposed to the time when it is being written or prepared.

runway

noun

A paved strip used by aircraft for takeoff and landing.

rupa

noun

Form, shape, or outward appearance — a term used in Indian philosophy and religious texts.

rupee

noun

The main unit of currency used in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.

Rupert

name

A male given name of Germanic origin.

rupture

noun

A sudden break, tear, or burst, especially in tissue or a container.

ruptured

adj

Burst, torn, or broken open, especially describing an injured body part.

rural

adj

Relating to the countryside, farmland, or village life, as opposed to cities.

ruralist

noun

A person whose way of life reflects the countryside.

Rus

name

The medieval East Slavic state, centered around Kiev, founded by Scandinavian traders and warriors starting in the 9th century.

ruse

noun

A clever trick or scheme meant to deceive someone.

rush

verb

To hurry or do something very quickly, sometimes carelessly.

rushed

adj

Done too quickly, often at the cost of quality; or feeling very busy and pressed for time.

rushes

noun

Raw, unedited film footage as originally shot, before editing.

rushing

noun

The act of moving quickly or hurrying.

Rushworth

name

An English surname and place name meaning "rush enclosure" or "rush farm."

rusk

noun

A hard, dry, twice-baked biscuit, often given as a teething food for babies.

Ruskin

name

An English surname, notably that of John Ruskin, the influential Victorian art critic.

Ruslan

name

A masculine given name popular in Russia and Central Asia, of Turkic origin meaning "lion."

Russ

adj

Relating to Russia or Russians (an older or informal form of "Russian").

Russel

noun

A durable, twilled woolen fabric.

russet

noun

A reddish-brown colour.

Russia

name

A vast country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, with Moscow as its capital.

Russian

adj

Relating to Russia, its people, culture, or language.

Russo

name

An Italian surname meaning "red," often referring to hair color.

rust

noun

The reddish-brown coating that forms on iron or steel when it reacts with moisture and oxygen over time.

rusted

adj

Corroded by rust; having developed a coating of oxidized metal.

rustic

adj

Having a simple, rural charm; countrified in style.

rustiness

noun

The condition of being covered in rust.

rusting

noun

The gradual process of a metal surface corroding into rust.

rustle

noun

A soft, dry crackling sound, like leaves or paper moving.

rustling

noun

The crime of stealing livestock.

rustproof

adj

Made so that it will not rust or corrode.

rusty

adj

Covered in rust or corroded.

rut

noun

A deep groove or track worn into the ground by repeated wheels or footsteps.

rutabaga

noun

A root vegetable, also called a swede, with yellowish flesh and a mild, slightly sweet flavor.

ruth

noun

A deep feeling of pity or compassion for someone else's suffering (now old-fashioned).

ruthenian

noun

Someone from Ruthenia, an old name used historically for a Ukrainian or Belarusian person.

ruthenium

noun

A metallic chemical element with the symbol Ru and atomic number 44.

rutherford

noun

An old unit of radioactivity, symbol rd, equal to one million radioactive decays per second.

rutherfordium

noun

Rutherfordium is a transuranic chemical element with the symbol Rf and atomic number 104.

ruthful

adj

Filled with sadness; mournful, woeful or regretful.

Ruthie

name

A short, friendly form of the female name Ruth.

ruthless

adj

Showing no pity or mercy; willing to act harshly to get what one wants.

ruthlessly

adv

In a merciless, uncompromising way, without any regard for others.

ruthlessness

noun

The quality of being merciless or showing no compassion.

rutile

noun

A mineral form of titanium dioxide, the most common of its three crystal types.

Rutland

name

England's smallest historic county, in the East Midlands.

Rutledge

name

A surname of uncertain origin, also used as several place names in the United States named after people who carried it.

rutter

noun

A soldier on horseback, especially a German one, from the wars of the 1500s and 1600s.

ruttle

noun

A rattling noise in the throat caused by trouble breathing.

RV

verb

To travel or vacation using a recreational vehicle.

Rwanda

noun

A landlocked country in East Africa, known for its mountainous landscape and rapid post-1994 recovery and development.

Rx

noun

A doctor's prescription, or the symbol printed on a prescription form and on pharmacy signage to mark it as one.

RY

noun

A repeating test string of alternating R and Y characters, historically used to check that teleprinter and radioteletype equipment was working correctly.

Ryan

noun

A given name, originally an Irish surname meaning roughly "descendant of Rian," now common for both boys and girls in English-speaking countries.

Rydell

name

A surname of Scandinavian origin, also known as the fictional high school in the film "Grease."

Ryder

noun

A surname derived from an occupation — someone who rides, such as a horseman or messenger.

Rye

noun

A hardy cereal grass grown for its grain, widely used to make bread, whiskey, and animal feed.

Ryker

name

A masculine given name and surname, likely a variant of the Dutch surname Riker.

Ryland

name

An English surname and given name meaning "rye land," referring to land where rye was grown.

ryo

noun

A five-note musical scale used in Japanese Buddhist chanting, built from a specific pattern of whole steps and short intervals.

ryu

noun

A Japanese term for a school or style of a particular discipline, most often used for martial arts.