ruby

noun ru·by \ ˈrü-bē \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of ruby

plural rubies

1 a : a precious stone that is a red corundum

b : something (such as a watch bearing) made of ruby

2 a : the dark red color of the ruby

b : something resembling a ruby in color

See ruby defined for English-language learners

See ruby defined for kids

Recent Examples of ruby from the Web

But Groups 2-5 start to sound like a trip to the jewelry mart: platinum, emerald, sapphire, gold and ruby.

— catharine hamm, latimes.com, "Boarding an airplane is such a pain in the neck. Can the process be fixed?," 9 Apr. 2018
The order at this sprawling restaurant with communal tables is the namesake ruby-red crawfish, boiled and doused in a butter sauce spiked with Cajun spices and garlic.

— christina chaey, Bon Appetit, "Every Single Place to Eat (and Drink) Right Now in Houston," 22 Mar. 2018
This showy annual displays a light bronze color, but the darker tips and bronzy-ruby undersides give the impression of multicolored petals.

— earl nickel, San Francisco Chronicle, "Dazzling poppy and calendula brighten the winter garden," 16 Mar. 2018
The shimmery, peel-off mask is infused with real ruby and pearl powders to illuminate, rose water to soothe, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump up skin.

— Allure, "I Dew Care's Sugar Kitten Mask Turned Me Into a Holographic Skin-Care Queen," 13 Feb. 2018
That was an even shorter fully beaded ruby-and-silver spaghetti strap dress by Berta with a different pair of metallic ankle-strap sandals.

— alex apatoff, PEOPLE.com, "Britney Spears Wears Two Sheer, Short and Sparkly Minis for a Rare Red Carpet Outing," 26 Feb. 2018
Eugenie's gorgeous ruby and diamond ring resembles her mother's, which was designed by her father, Prince Andrew.

— leah silverman, Town & Country, "Princess Eugenie and Fiancé Jack Brooksbank Thanked Their Well-Wishers with Handwritten Notes," 23 Feb. 2018
The Browns grilled the fish fresh from the water or cut the fish in ruby strips to dry over spruce poles.

— ned rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "Where are the Yukon chinooks headed?," 10 Feb. 2018
Not a cloud crossed the powder blue sky, allowing a spectacular view of a surprisingly large sunspot group followed by several ruby red prominences during totality.

— bill andrews, Discover Magazine, "In the Moon's Shadow, America Looks Up," 29 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ruby.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ruby

Middle English, from Anglo-French rubi, rubin, from Medieval Latin rubinus, from Latin rubeus reddish; akin to Latin ruber red — more at red

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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ruby

adjective

Definition of ruby

: of the color ruby

Recent Examples of ruby from the Web

The rainbow of colors ranging from bright yellow to brilliant orange, ruby red to deep purple makes carrots not only a delicious but also beautiful addition to the garden.

— ashleigh spitza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Crunchy carrots are a sweet bundle of nutrition," 14 Mar. 2018
Over 300 items will be on display alongside the Cartier Halo tiara at the exhibit, including Grace Kelly's 10.48-carat engagement ring and a diamond and ruby necklace that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor.

— maggie maloney, Town & Country, "The One Tiara Meghan Markle Definitely Won't Be Wearing on Her Wedding Day," 28 Mar. 2018
So is ruby red Texas starting to drift toward becoming a purple state?

— david wasserman, NBC News, "Is Texas turning purple? A look at the midterm numbers.," 7 Mar. 2018
Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (my current favorite is a Y2K (#10) with a ruby midge (#14) suspended below it).

— tyler mahoney, kansascity, "Fishing report: Looking for hot spots? Here's where the fish are biting | The Kansas City Star," 14 Mar. 2018
Eliana Malkoff, 3, wanted to run through the rows of ruby slippers, fuzzy boots, flip flops and sneakers.

— marissa j. lang, chicagotribune.com, "7,000 pairs of shoes on the U.S. Capitol lawn show toll of gun violence," 13 Mar. 2018
Eliana Malkoff, 3, wanted to run through the rows of ruby slippers, fuzzy boots, flip flops and sneakers.

— marissa j. lang, Washington Post, "Approximately 7,000 pairs of shoes are displayed outside the Capitol to represent gun-violence victims," 13 Mar. 2018
Steak is cut to order, revealing a ruby interior at a midpoint between chewy and tender.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "A Menu That Defies Tidy Categorization at Ok Lah!," 1 Mar. 2018
And a whole lot of people in our state have self-segregated to partisan enclaves — deep blue cities; ruby red suburbs.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "An idea to end gerrymandering," 22 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of ruby

15th century

RUBY Defined for English Language Learners

ruby

noun

Definition of ruby for English Language Learners

: a deep red stone that is used in jewelry
: a dark red color

RUBY Defined for Kids

ruby

noun ru·by \ ˈrü-bē \

Definition of ruby for Students

plural rubies

1 : a gemstone of a deep red color

2 : a deep purplish red

Learn More about ruby

See words that rhyme with ruby Spanish Central: Translation of ruby Nglish: Translation of ruby for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ruby for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ruby

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ruby

Definition of ruby

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Origin and Etymology of ruby

ruby

Definition of ruby

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RUBY Defined for English Language Learners

ruby

Definition of ruby for English Language Learners

RUBY Defined for Kids

ruby

Definition of ruby for Students

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ruby

Definition of ruby

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Origin and Etymology of ruby

ruby

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RUBY Defined for English Language Learners

ruby

Definition of ruby for English Language Learners

RUBY Defined for Kids

ruby

Definition of ruby for Students

Learn More about ruby

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