ruddock
(ˈrʌdək)
Forms: α. 1 rudduc, 5 (9 dial.) -uck; 4 ruddoc, 4–5 -ok (5 rod(d)ok), 5–6 -oke, 5–7 -ocke, 6– ruddock (7 rudock); 8–9 dial. ruddick. β. 6 ridduck, -ocke, 8 dial. ryddick, 9 dial. hirdick; 7 reddocke (9 dial. -ock, -ick), raddocke.
[OE. rudduc, related to rud n.1, ruddy a.: see -ock.]
1. The redbreast or robin, Erithacus rubecula. Now chiefly dial.
α c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 131 Rubisca, rudduc. a 1100 Voc. ibid. 286 Rubisca, salthaᵹa, uel rudduc. c 1340 Nominale (Skeat) 784 Musscherom, verder et lalowe, Sparwe, ruddoc and larke. c 1381 Chaucer Parl. Foules 349 The tame rodok & the coward kyte. c 1400 Beryn 685 Herke eek the fowles syngyng,..The ruddok & the Gold⁓fynch. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 438/2 Ruddok, reed breest, viridarius, rubellus, frigella. 1528 Paynell Salerne's Regim. N ij, The .xj. is a ruddocke, called robyn red brest. 1595 Spenser Epithal. 82 The Ouzell shrills; the Ruddock warbles soft. 1654 Vilvain Theorem. Theol. Suppl. 230 Men may catch Ruddicks or Thrushes in Pitfals. 1688 Holme Armoury ii. 245/2 The Robin Red Breast, or Ruddock, is a small Bird generally pricking up his Tail. 1750 Heath Isles of Scilly & Cornwall 299 (E.D.D.), They have linnets, gold-finches, ruddocks,..and many other common birds. 1806 E. Rushton Poems 106 From his grounds may the lark never soar, On his boughs may the Ruddock be mute. 1827 Hood Plea Mids. Fairies lv, The sweet And shrilly ruddock, with its bleeding breast. 1882 Garden 11 Nov. 424/1 The wood robin..takes the place with us of the red-breasted ruddock. |
β 1611 Shakes. Cymb. iv. ii. 224 The Raddocke would With Charitable bill..bring thee all this. 1639, 1825 [see Robin ruddock]. 1877 N. & Q. 5th Ser. VIII. 45 Reddick, the robin-redbreast. 1886 Elworthy W. Somerset Word-Bk. 341 Hirdick, ruddock, the robin; generally called Rabin hirdick. |
† 2. Cant. A gold coin; hence pl., gold, money.
1567 Turberv. Of two Desperate Men Poems 134 b, The greedie Carle..saw the Pot..Where Ruddocks lay, and in the Ruddocks place A knottie Cord, but Ruddocks could not find. 1580 Bugbears i. i. 17 in Archiv Neu. Spr. XCVIII. 304 You have store of pence & riddockes in great plentie. 1592 Lyly Midas ii. i, If..he haue golden ruddocks in his bagges, he must be wise and honourable. 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. ii. 147 Three thousand crownes, in good, dainty braue ruddocks, all good double pistolets. 1628 R. Hobart Life & Death Edw. II, lv, The solace of the wayning yeares To view their ruddocks and their heapes of treasure. |
† 3. A variety of cider apple. Obs.
1600 Surflet Countrie Farme iii. xlix. 535 These kindes of cyders are made principally of the apples called small ruddocke. 1611 Cotgr. s.v. Rouveau, Pomme de rou[veau], the Ruddocke, Redding, Summer Goulding. |
† 4. A species of toad. Obs.
Cf. Cotgrave, ‘Rubette, a greene earth-Frog, or red Toad; very full of poyson, and of great vse among witches’.
1668 Charleton Onomast. 24 Ranunculus viridis, Calamites,..the Green Frog, or Ruddock. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 51/1 We are told, that the Land-toad, or Ruddock, if..burned in a Field, will drive away the Birds from devouring the Seeds. 1749 G. West Odes Pindar (1753) I. 253 The pois'nous Ruddock some, and Shrew-Mouse boil. |