ferruginous

adjective

fer·ru·gi·nous | \fə-ˈrü-jə-nəs,

fe-\

Definition of ferruginous

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

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, "Why Do Male Birds Take on Larger Predators? Maybe Just to Impress the Ladies," 13 Mar. 2017 Ferrets, tiger salamanders, burrowing owls and ferruginous hawks also rely on prairie dog burrows for cover. — Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, "Prairie dog towns in Colorado cover twice the acreage researchers once thought," 20 Feb. 2017 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, "Why Do Male Birds Take on Larger Predators? Maybe Just to Impress the Ladies," 13 Mar. 2017

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.