ferruginous
adjective
fer·ru·gi·nous
fə-ˈrü-jə-nəs 
fe-
1
: of, relating to, or containing iron
a ferruginous soil
2
: resembling iron rust in color
Examples of ferruginous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike many of Arizona's birds, cactus ferruginous pygmy owls do not migrate or fly great distances.
—
Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2022
Flesch, a biologist at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, has studied ferruginous pygmy owls, whose short, low flights might be crimped by high border walls.
—Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2014
For the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, exemptions are related to certain outreach, monitoring, habitat restoration, and survey efforts.
—Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2022
Elsewhere in the West, federal officials say the 6-inch cactus ferruginous pygmy owl — which nests in saguaro cacti in Mexico, Arizona and Texas — should be protected under the Endangered Species Act, Michael Doyle reports for E&E news.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021
The cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, which nests in the Sonoran Desert’s iconic saguaro cactus, routinely takes down prey twice its size.
—Shaena Montanari, National Geographic, 26 June 2020
During the 1980s and 1990s, wintering ferruginous and rough-legged hawks were considered fairly common on the plains of Boulder County.
—The Know, 4 Dec. 2019
There are likely fewer than 100 cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls left in Arizona, the zoo said.
—Raquel Baier, azcentral, 6 June 2019
The ferruginous pygmy owl is a regular predator of small birds, while the burrowing owl only snags birds very rarely and instead focuses its hunting efforts on insects and other arthropods.
—Jason Bittel, Smithsonian, 13 Mar. 2017
See More
Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2022
Flesch, a biologist at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, has studied ferruginous pygmy owls, whose short, low flights might be crimped by high border walls.
—Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2014
For the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, exemptions are related to certain outreach, monitoring, habitat restoration, and survey efforts.
—Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2022
Elsewhere in the West, federal officials say the 6-inch cactus ferruginous pygmy owl — which nests in saguaro cacti in Mexico, Arizona and Texas — should be protected under the Endangered Species Act, Michael Doyle reports for E&E news.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021
The cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, which nests in the Sonoran Desert’s iconic saguaro cactus, routinely takes down prey twice its size.
—Shaena Montanari, National Geographic, 26 June 2020
During the 1980s and 1990s, wintering ferruginous and rough-legged hawks were considered fairly common on the plains of Boulder County.
—The Know, 4 Dec. 2019
There are likely fewer than 100 cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls left in Arizona, the zoo said.
—Raquel Baier, azcentral, 6 June 2019
The ferruginous pygmy owl is a regular predator of small birds, while the burrowing owl only snags birds very rarely and instead focuses its hunting efforts on insects and other arthropods.
—Jason Bittel, Smithsonian, 13 Mar. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ferruginous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin ferrugineus, ferruginus, from ferrugin-, ferrugo iron rust, from ferrum
First Known Use
circa 1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing ferruginous
Dictionary Entries Near ferruginous
Cite this Entry
“Ferruginous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferruginous. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
ferruginous
adjective
fer·ru·gi·nous
fə-ˈrü-jə-nəs, fe-
variants
or ferrugineous
1
: of, relating to, or containing iron
2
: resembling iron rust in color
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