ferruginous

adjective

fer·​ru·​gi·​nous fə-ˈrü-jə-nəs How to pronounce ferruginous (audio)
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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ferruginous was circa 1661

Dictionary Entries Near ferruginous

Cite this Entry

“Ferruginous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferruginous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

ferruginous

adjective
fer·​ru·​gi·​nous fə-ˈrü-jə-nəs, fe- How to pronounce ferruginous (audio)
variants or ferrugineous
1
: of, relating to, or containing iron
2
: resembling iron rust in color
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