noun
ruby
ROO-bee
noun
1
A precious gemstone that is a deep red variety of corundum.
"Her engagement ring was set with a single ruby."
2
A deep, rich red color, like that of the gemstone.
"The wine had a beautiful ruby color."
adjective
1
Having a deep red color.
"She wore a ruby dress to the gala."
How to Use Ruby
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA red gemstone, the deep red color itself, or a programming language that happens to share the name.
Common pairings
ruby ring
ruby red
a flawless ruby
Word Forms
more ruby comparative, rubied past tense, rubies plural, rubies singular, most ruby superlative
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Her engagement ring was set with a single _____.
Etymology
From Old French rubi, going back to Medieval Latin rubīnus, related to Latin ruber, "red."