ruth

1 of 2

noun (1)

1
: compassion for the misery of another
2
: sorrow for one's own faults : remorse

Ruth

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: a Moabite woman who accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem and became the ancestress of David
2
: a short narrative book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see Bible Table

Examples of ruth in a Sentence

Noun (1) listening to your flippant comments about the homeless, I wonder if you have any ruth

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ruthe, from ruen to rue

Noun (2)

Hebrew Rūth

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ruth was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near ruth

Cite this Entry

“Ruth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruth. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Ruth

noun
: a short narrative book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see bible

Biographical Definition

Ruth

biographical name

George Herman 1895–1948 Babe Ruth or the Babe American baseball player
Ruthian adjective
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