ruddy

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-der. Old English rudu Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Old English rudiġ Middle English rody English ruddy Inherited from Middle English rody, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu + -iġ. By surface analysis, rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”). The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.

1. Reddish in color, especially of the face, fire, or sky.

   “Drystone walls, farm buildings and stone cottages, roofed with ruddy tiles, line the way and blend gently into the surrounding countryside.”

   “A silvery cloud drifted over the mountains that surrounded him, its edges glowing with ruddy light cast from the harvest moon cradled between two peaks.”

2. Robust and vigorous, like a person with a red complexion (as compared to a pale one).

   “in ruddy health”

3. A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.

   “"Sister?" I inquired. "She ain't 'ere," a man's voice said. "What's more," it went on, "she ain't been 'ere for ruddy hours, neither. Can't you pull them ruddy curtains, mate, and let's 'ave some flippin' light?"”

   ““Of all the damn silly fatheaded things!” she vociferated, if that's the word. “With a million ruddy names to choose from, these ruddy Creams call one ruddy son Wilbert and the other ruddy son Wilfred, and both these ruddy sons are known as Willie. Just going out of their way to mislead the innocent bystander. You'd think people would have more consideration.””

adv

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-der. Old English rudu Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Old English rudiġ Middle English rody English ruddy Inherited from Middle English rody, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu + -iġ. By surface analysis, rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”). The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.

1. A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.

   ““So, you made quite a splash on Question Time, my homeless pal,” he continued. “Ruddy hilarious. Ha ha ha!””

   “'You're not ruddy going anywhere,' he said, slamming the door behind him.”

name

1. A surname.

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-der. Old English rudu Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Old English rudiġ Middle English rody English ruddy Inherited from Middle English rody, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu + -iġ. By surface analysis, rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”). The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.

1. A ruddy duck.

   “In winter, snow geese land at West Pond, a Robert Moses legacy that ought to be called Duck Soup: at this time of year look for ruddies, greater scaups, Northern pintails, American widgeons and gadwalls.”

2. A ruddy ground dove.

   “Ground doves — two ruddies are shown here — are so called because they feed on the ground.”

   “Understandably, birders in the U.S. are advised to carefully distinguish Ruddies from the usually more-expected Common Ground-Doves [...]. (Brightly-colored, pinkish adult male Common Ground-Doves have been misidentified as male Ruddies on several occasions, however.) Unless the fortunate birder happens upon a Ruddy Ground-Dove amongst a flock of sparrows, it will often be necessary to sort through innumerable Inca Doves.”

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-der. Old English rudu Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Old English rudiġ Middle English rody English ruddy Inherited from Middle English rody, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu + -iġ. By surface analysis, rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”). The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.

1. To make reddish in colour.

   “The sunset ruddied our faces.”

   “It ruddied all the copse-wood glen”