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Definition of ferruginous
1 : of, relating to, or containing iron a ferruginous soil
2 : resembling iron rust in color
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of ferruginous from the Web
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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.
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Ferrets, tiger salamanders, burrowing owls and ferruginous hawks also rely on prairie dog burrows for cover.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ferruginous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ferruginous
Latin ferrugineus, ferruginus, from ferrugin-, ferrugo iron rust, from ferrum
Medical Dictionary
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