▪ I. ruby, n. and a.
(ˈruːbɪ)
Forms: α. 4– ruby, 4–6 rubye, 5–7 rubie, rubey; 5 ro(o)by, rube(e, rubu. β. 4 rybe, 5 rybee, 6 rybwe; 4 ribe, 6 ribie; 5 rebe, reby.
[a. OF. rubi (= Sp. and Pg. rubi, Prov. robi), more commonly rubis, repr. the Romanic stem rubin- (see rubine), obscurely related to L. rubeus, ruber red.]
I. 1. a. A very rare and valuable precious stone (the true or Oriental ruby), of a colour varying from deep crimson or purple to pale rose-red; now classed as a variety of corundum. Also, a less valuable stone (an aluminate of magnesium), distinguished as the spinel ruby, or a rose-pink variety of this, the balas ruby.
| α a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. v. 25 Ase gernet in golde, ant ruby wel ryht. c 1380 Chaucer To Rosemounde 4 And lyke ruby ben your chekys rounde. 1530 Palsgr. 264/1 Ruby a precious stone, ruby. 1535 Coverdale Ezek. xxviii. 13 Thou art decte..with Ruby, Topas, Christall, Iacyncte. 1579 Lodge Def. Poetry ¶1 The Rubie is discerned by his pale rednes. 1667 Milton P.L. iii. 597 If stone, Carbuncle most or Chrysolite, Rubie or Topaz. 1727–46 Thomson Summer 147 At thee the Ruby lights its deep'ning glow. 1801 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) Suppl. II. 781/1 Pallets of ruby, driven by a hard steel swing wheel, need no oil. 1849 Campbell Inorganic Chem. 150 The sapphire and ruby are alumina with a little colouring oxide. 1886 Encycl. Brit. XXI. 48/1 By this test the true ruby may be distinguished from spinel and garnet. |
| β 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1007 Þe sexte þe rybe he con. hit wale. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. xxxi. (Douce MS.), His gloues, his gamesons glowed as a glede, With graynes of rebe þat grai[th]ed bene gay. |
b. With
a and
pl.| α a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. ix. 35 Whith rubies on a rowe. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 8904 Alle þe walles war made..of cristalle schene,..And þe garettes aboven of rubys and curalle. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. iii. 24 Rynges with Rubyes, and Richesses I-nouwe. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxi. 97 He beres..a ruby, fyne and gude and orient. 1463 Bury Wills (Camden) 36 A doubyl ryng departyd of gold, with a ruby and a turkeys. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xlviii. 132 A radius croun of rubeis scho him gaif. 1545 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) VI. 228 A flower of golde..with a rubie. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. iv. 101 Th' impression of keene whips, I'ld weare as Rubies. 1700 Dryden Pal. & Arc. iii. 54 His ample forehead bore a coronet, With sparkling diamonds and with rubies set. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) III. 185 A large golden heart hanging at a gold chain set with rubies and diamonds. 1813 Scott Trierm. iii. xxvi, Here are rubies blazing bright. 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts II. 633 An imitation of the finest oriental rubies. |
| fig. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Wks. (1711) 6 The Sun is fair, when he, with crimson Crown And flaming Rubies, leaves his Eastern Bed. |
| β 13.. Owain Miles (1837) 37 Ribes and salidoines, Onicles and causteloines. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. ii. (Douce MS.), With riche ribaynes reuersset,..Rayled withe rybees of rialle aray. a 1500 in Ashm. Theatr. Chem. Brit. (1652) 211 Thys ryche Reby, that ston of pryce. 1558 Lanc. Wills (Chetham Soc.) I. 88 A ring of gold w{supt} a broken ribie. |
c. An artificial gem imitating the ruby.
| 1875 Ure's Dict. Arts II. 633 Frequently this mixture only yields an opaque mass..: in that case rubies may be made of it. |
d. The jewel of a watch (in the finest work usually a variety of ruby).
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1998/2. |
† 2. fig. Applied, chiefly to women, as a term of high commendation.
Obs.| a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. xvi. 53 Heo is rubie of ryhtfulnesse. c 1386 [see gem n. 2]. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 959 Now godamercy, berel brytest of bewte! godamercy, rubu rody as þe rose! 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxxvi. 42 Haile, redolent ruby, riche and radyuss!.. Haile, moder of God! |
3. A red pimple on the face.
| 1558 Warde tr. Alexis' Secr. ii. 45 b, To take awaye red rubies that growe in the face by reason of the heate of the Liuer. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. ii. 138 Vpon her nose, all ore embellished with Rubies, Carbuncles, Saphires. 1611 Cotgr., Couperose,..extreame rednesse of the face, accompanied with many pimples, and rubies, especially about the nose. 1625 Hart Anat. Ur. i. v. 46 May it not..make their faces flourish with some orientall carbuncles and rubies? 1673 R. Head Canting Acad. 165 The rich Rubies on his Nose. 1770 Foote Lame Lover iii. Wks. 1799 II. 82 The rubies with which his cheeks are enrich'd! 1841 Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. ii. Old Wom. in Grey, Certain rubies That garnished the nose of the good Father Hilary. |
4. The colour of the ruby; a glowing purple-tinged red.
† Also
Her. = gules.
| 1572 J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 67 b, The fielde is the Rubie, a Cheuron topaze, betwene iij Eaglettes displaide, with two heades, of the Pearle. 1592 W. Wyrley Armorie 148 Sir William Luzie did here a partie hold In rubie armd, three Lucie fishes. 1605 Shakes. Macb. iii. iv. 115 When now I thinke you can behold such sights, And keepe the naturall Rubie of your Cheekes. 1634 Rainbow Labour (1635) 27 If this be to labour,..to flush their complexions to the drunkards ruby. 1847 Emerson Ode to Beauty 28 The swinging spider's silver line, The ruby of the drop of wine. |
5. transf. Applied to various things of a colour similar to the ruby:
a. pl. The lips.
| 1592 Daniel Compl. Rosamund 124 Wks. (Grosart) I. 85 As the saddest tale..Makes silent listning vnto him that told it, So did my speech when Rubies did vnfold it. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. ii. ii. 17 That I might..kisse, one kisse. Rubies vnparagon'd, How deerely they doo't: 'Tis her breathing that Perfumes the Chamber thus. |
b. Red wine.
| 1671 Milton Samson 543 Nor did the dancing Rubie..Allure thee from the cool Crystalline stream. 1859 E. FitzGerald tr. Omar v, Still the Vine her ancient Ruby yields. |
c. Pugilistic slang. The blood.
| 1860 Chamb. Jrnl. XIII. 348 The fluid of which Harvey demonstrated the circulation in the human body, he [the pugilist] speaks of as ‘claret’, or ‘carmine’, or ‘ruby’. 1888 Sporting Life 11 Dec. (Farmer), Saunders stopped a flush right-hander with his organ of smell, the ruby duly making its appearance. |
d. ellipt. Ruby port (see sense 11).
| 1938 G. Greene Brighton Rock i. iii. 37 ‘Give me a glass of Ruby,’ the sombre man said. 1959 W. James Word-bk. Wine 148 Ruby is a young, deep-red wine, or a tawny which has been refreshed with a younger wine. |
6. † a. Alch. (See
quot.)
Obs.—1| 1610 B. Jonson Alch. ii. i. 48 He that has once the flower of the sunne, The perfect ruby, which we call elixir. |
b. (See
quots.)
| 1696 Phillips s.v. Arsenic, Ruby of Arsenic, is a Preparation of it with sulphur by means of several repeated sublimations. 1728 Chambers Cycl., Ruby, in Chymistry, is a Name given to several Preparations of natural Bodies, because of their red Colour; as, Ruby of Arsenick, &c. 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v., Arsenical Ruby,..a name given to a sublimation of a mixture of arsenic and common sulphur. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVI. 544/1 What is called ruby of arsenic or of sulphur is the realgar; the ruby of zinc is the red blend; and the ruby of silver is the red silver ore. |
c. ellipt. Ruby glass (see 11).
| 1839 Stonehouse Isle of Axholme 227 Even the ancient ruby is not lost to those artists who can and will patiently seek after it. 1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 6781 The group on the right is half-cased with ruby. |
7. Printing. A size of type, intermediate between nonpareil and pearl. (
Cf. agate n. 4.)
There is no evidence to support the two earliest
quots., which place ruby between pearl and diamond.
| 1778 Mores Dissert. Eng. Typog. Founders 26 So we exclude Minion, Nonpareil, Pearl, Ruby and Diamond, so named from their smallness and fancied prettiness. 1824 J. Johnson Typographia II. 76 Independent of the above sizes, we have just been informed, that Mr. Miller, of Edinburgh, has introduced another, which he designates by the name of Ruby; it is a size between Pearl and Diamond. 1839 Hansard Print. & Type-founding (1841) 228 Ruby.., used for pocket dictionaries, prayer-books, &c.; but it is too small for any but the strongest sight. 1888 Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 116 Ruby, a size of type..equal to half a Small Pica in body. |
II. attrib. and
Comb. 8. a. Attributive, as
ruby chain,
ruby cylinder,
ruby hole,
ruby laser,
ruby mine,
ruby ring,
ruby rock,
ruby roller,
ruby spark,
ruby stone.
| 1508 Dunbar Golden Targe 24 With hevinly beriall droppis, Throu bemes rede, birnyng as ruby sperkis. 1508 ― Tua Mariit Wemen 367 In ringis ryally set with riche ruby stonis. a 1700 Ken Edmund Poet. Wks. 1721 II. 150 Seven polish'd Ruby Rocks the columns were, Into bright Seraphs carv'd. 1710 Lond. Gaz. No. 2691/4 A Ruby Ring with three Brilliant Diamonds on each side. 1829 Crawfurd Jrnl. Emb. to Crt. of Ava (1834) II. 203 The sapphire and ruby mines are considered the property of the King. 1843 Holtzapffel Turning I. 173 Ruby holes are also employed for rounding the leads of even-pointed pencils. 1872 Tennyson Last Tourn. 409 He..show'd them both the ruby-chain. 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 97 The..teeth..lock the wheel by pressing on a hollow ruby cylinder or roller... There is a notch in the ruby roller. 1961 Ann. Reg. 1960 396 One drawback of the ruby laser was that it produced light only in bursts. 1974 Encycl. Brit. Micropædia VIII. 707/1 The chromium atoms responsible for the ruby's colour are also responsible for the emission of red light when ruby is excited by radiation, as in the red light produced by a ruby laser. 1977 Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts CXXV. 765/1 The first ruby laser of Maiman in 1960. |
b. Similative, as
ruby-like,
ruby-wise. Also
ruby-ripe,
ruby-sweet.
| 1694 Salmon Bate's Disp. (1715) 560/1 So will you have a Ruby-like Tincture. 1832 Tennyson Dream Fair Women ii, All faces turn'd to where Glows rubylike the far-up crimson globe. 1871 Ruskin Fors Clav. vii. 11 Not merely..a colour on the outside, but going through and through, ruby-wise. 1918 W. de la Mare Sam's Three Wishes in Twelve Poets 27 Ruby-ripe to see, The pixy-pears burn on yon hawthorn tree. 1920 E. Sitwell Wooden Pegasus 21 As isles of the cherry Or ruby-sweet berry. |
c. Instrumental, as
ruby-circled,
ruby-headed,
ruby-studded.
| 1872 Tennyson Last Tourn. 364 Before him fled the face of Queen Isolt With ruby-circled neck. 1875 Bedford Sailor's Pkt. Bk. i. (ed. 2) 38 The two ruby-headed pivots are made exclusively for the heavier card J. 1895 F. A. Swettenham Malay Sketches 180 Her hair fastened in a knot with four ruby-studded hairpins. |
9. As
adj. Having the colour of the ruby; of a dark glowing red, usually tinged with purple.
| 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 38 The ruby skyes of the orient. 1515 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. V. 9 Ane vnce of rubey silk to thair quaiffs. 1592 Greene Quip for Upstart Courtier Wks. (Grosart) XI. 242 His face somthing Ruby blush, Cherry cheeked, like a shreed of scarlet. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iii. i. 260 Thy wounds... Which like dumbe mouthes do ope their Ruby lips. 1644 Prynne & Walker Fiennes's Trial 115 Though he might haply view his ruby Nose without a Mirrour. 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche viii. cclv, Their whiter Names Being dyed deep in ruby Martyrdom. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 108 It will give the transparent Red, a Ruby Colour. 1764 Gray Triumph Owen 22 High he rears his ruby crest. 1801 Southey Thalaba vi. xxiv, Vessels of wine, alternate placed, Ruby and amber. 1864 Tennyson Islet 13 With a satin sail of a ruby glow. 1887 The Lady 20 Jan. 37/2 One lady had a ruby velvet, trimmed with costly lace. |
10. a. In parasynthetic
adjs., as
ruby-berried,
ruby-budded,
ruby-coloured,
ruby-eyed,
ruby-faced,
ruby-hued,
ruby-lipped,
ruby-tasselled, etc.
| 1866 Geo. Eliot F. Holt (1868) 2 The purple-blossomed *ruby-berried nightshade. |
| 1855 Tennyson Maud i. iv. 1 A million emeralds break from the *ruby-budded lime. |
| 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 451 Once more the *rubi-colourd portall opend. 1817 Kirby & Sp. Entomol. xxi. (1818) II. 223 The inequalities of its ruby-coloured surface. |
| 1919 R. C. Punnett Mendelism (ed. 5) ix. 95 In canaries, again, there are *ruby-eyed cinnamon forms corresponding to the various green and yellow varieties. 1950 D. Gascoyne Vagrant 38 Fatalist, Ruby-eyed. |
| 1711 Lond. Gaz. No. 4813/4 He is..*Ruby Faced. 1741 Chinese Lett. i. 7 A jolly ruby-fac'd Prelate, lolling at Ease in his Coach, hinders his Progress. |
| 1896 M. Beaumont Joan Seaton 50 A great water-butt, its sides deep in *ruby-hued nasturtiums. |
| 1642 H. More Song Soul, Infin. Worlds xcix, Fair comely bodies,..rose-cheek'd, *ruby-lip'd. 1648 Herrick Hesper., Short Hymn to Venus, I do love a Girle Rubie-lipt, and tooth'd with Pearl. |
| 1878 Longfellow Kéramos 143 Little towns..*ruby-lustered with the light Of blazing furnaces by night. |
| 1920 Blunden Waggoner 55 And *ruby-tasselled shepherd's rose. |
| 1708 J. Philips Cyder ii. 88 The elder Year, Pomona, pleas'd, shall deck With *ruby-tinctur'd Births. 1740 Somerville Hobbinol iii. 45 The ruby-tinctur'd Corinth clust'ring hangs, And emulates the Grape. |
| 1876 Rock Text. Fabr. 63 Raised or cut *ruby-toned velvet of a rich soft pile. |
| 1827 T. Hamilton Youth & Manhood C. Thornton (1845) 76, I..gladly consigned the remains of the dish to the care of my *ruby-visaged neighbour. |
b. In specific names of birds, as
ruby-crested,
ruby-crowned,
ruby-headed,
ruby-necked. Also
ruby-throated.
| 1782 Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. ii. 780 *Ruby-crested Humming Bird. 1758 G. Edwards Glean. Nat. Hist. I. 95 The *Ruby-crowned Wren. 1785 Pennant Arct. Zool. II. 413 Ruby-crowned Warbler. 1834 Audubon Ornith. Biog. II. 547 The Ruby-crowned Wren is found in Louisiana and other Southern States, from November until March. 1872 Coues N. Amer. Birds 78 Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Crown with a rich scarlet patch. |
| 1811 Shaw Gen. Zool. VIII. i. 329 *Ruby-headed Humming-bird... This is one of the most beautiful of the straight-billed Humming-Birds. |
| 1782 Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. ii. 779 *Ruby-necked Humming Bird. |
11. a. In special collocations, as
ruby anniversary, a fortieth anniversary;
ruby-back, used
attrib. to designate fine Chinese porcelain enamelled on the reverse in pink or crimson; so
ruby-backed a.;
ruby blende,
copper (see
quots.);
ruby coral, ? red coral;
ruby-dazzler Austral. and
N.Z. slang, something exceptionally fine (
cf. bobby-dazzler);
ruby glass, glass coloured by the oxides of copper, iron, lead, tin, etc.;
ruby port, port of a deep red colour,
spec. that matured in wood for only a few years and fined before bottling;
Ruby Queen Forces' slang (see
quot. 1925);
ruby silver, proustite;
ruby spar (see
quot.);
ruby spinel = spinel ruby;
ruby sulphur,
topaz; (see
quots.);
ruby wedding, a fortieth (
occas. forty-fifth) wedding anniversary;
ruby wood,
zinc (see
quots.).
| 1962 Guardian 17 Nov. 5/2 The celebration of the BBC's *ruby anniversary. |
| 1915 R. L. Hobson Chinese Pott. & Porc. II. xii. 213 A *ruby-back saucer dish delicately painted. 1935 Burlington Mag. Jan. 25/2 At that period the Chinese kilns produced the ruby-back egg-shell porcelain. 1960 H. Hayward Antique Coll. 115/1 A new delicate painting style began to oust that of the famille verte..about 1720, and was applied especially to plates, bowls and cups and saucers of ‘egg-shell’ thin procelain. The ‘ruby-back’ variety is coloured deep rose-pink on the reverse. 1980 Catal. Fine Chinese Ceramics (Sotheby, Hong Kong) 180 Compare the ruby-back cups painted with fruit in the interior sold in these rooms 29th November, 1977. |
| 1900 F. Litchfield Pott. & Porc. vii. 113 The most highly-prized egg-shell, which is termed ‘*ruby backed’ china. 1970 G. C. Williamson Bk. of Famille Rose vii. 104 Ruby-backed pieces can be marked off as belonging to a particular group, but the division must be confined exclusively to the ruby back. |
| 1855 Orr's Cir. Sci., Geol., etc. 501 Proustite ― Red Silver, *Ruby-blende. |
| 1815 A. Aikin Mineralogy (ed. 2) 88 Red Copper. *Ruby Copper. 1837 Penny Cycl. VII. 503/1 This oxide..occurs in Cornwall in the form of beautiful transparent crystals of a fine red colour, and is hence frequently called ruby copper. |
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix. 393 The Marine here [Trapani, Sicily] excelleth in *Ruby Corall. |
| 1941 Baker N.Z. Slang vi. 51 Expressions..in constant use by our youngsters:..bobbydazzler, *rubydazzler, dag, swinjer, [etc.]. 1941 ― Dict. Austral. Slang 62 Rube,..something esp. fine. Rubydazzler, as for ‘rube’. 1977 W. S. Ramson in Quadrant (Sydney) May 67/1 The Australian Pocket Oxford..is a real beaut, a ryebuck dictionary, a ringer, a ripper, a gem amongst dictionaries if not a rubydazzler. |
| 1797 W. Johnston tr. Beckmann's Invent. I. 205 In 1684 Orschall..wrote..of the manner of making *ruby-glass. 1860 Longfellow Tales Wayside Inn, Falcon of Ser Federigo 186 The ruby glass, the silver, and the gold. 1885 A. J. Butler tr. Dante's Paradise 268 note, Until the fifteenth century only ‘ruby’ glass was ‘coated’. |
| 1921 A. L. Simon Wine & Wine Trade v. 59 It also happens sometimes that a vintage Port..will be kept in wood for a more or less extended number of years before it is bottled. The result will be a wine with less colour and strength than the early bottled vintage Port, but with more body and colour than tawny Port. This wine is often described as ‘*Ruby’ Port. 1938 G. Greene Brighton Rock i. iii. 47 Life was sunlight on brass bedposts, ruby port. 1967 A. Lichine Encycl. Wines 411/2 A bottle of Vintage Port..will suffer if it is open to the air very long, though a Ruby Port or Tawny will survive better. |
| 1925 Fraser & Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 246 *Ruby Queen,..an occasional nickname for any young nurse or Sister of fresh complexion. 1934 Blunden Choice or Chance 31 With Ruby Queens We once crowned feeds of pork and beans. |
| 1815 A. Aikin Mineralogy (ed. 2) 79 Red or *Ruby Silver..occurs crystallized, dendritic, membranous, massive, and disseminated. 1882 U.S. Rep. Prec. Met. 177 The vein..contains black sulphurets and ruby silver. |
| 1796 Kirwan Elem. Min. (ed. 2) I. 254 The stone imported from Ceylon, called *ruby spar,..is an iridescent sort of spinell ruby. |
| 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 570 The purchaser must ascertain if it be not a Siberian tourmaline, or *ruby spinel. 1868 Watts Dict. Chem. V. 400 Precious spinel is distinguished by several names, according to its colour, the deep red variety being called ruby spinel. |
| 1837 Dana Syst. Min. vi. 434 Realgar,..Red Orpiment or *Ruby Sulphur... Red Sulphuret of Arsenic. |
| 1885 W. T. Hornaday 2 Yrs. in Jungle xxiv. 287 The island produces..garnets, ‘Ceylon ruby’ (*ruby topaz), star stones. |
| 1911 Webster s.v. ruby a., *Ruby wedding, the forty-fifth wedding anniversary. 1963 B. Smith Etiquette vii. 117 According to a former convention..the interim anniversaries are..fortieth year, Ruby Wedding. 1977 Times 15 Apr. 12/5 This year marks his ruby wedding as well as his retirement. |
| 1843 Holtzapffel Turning I. 103 Red Sanders, or *Ruby Wood, an East Indian wood, the produce of Pterocarpus santalinus. |
| 1896 Chester Dict. Min. 237 *Ruby-zinc, a popular name for..sphalerite of a deep-red color, and also for zincite with the same characteristics. |
b. (See
quots.)
| 1832 J. Rennie Consp. Butterfl. & Moths 28 The Ruby Fly Hawk... Very rare. Ibid. 43 The Ruby Tiger..appears the beginning of July. 1868 J. G. Wood Homes Without H. xiii. 238 A specimen of the Ruby and Topaz Humming Bird (Chrysolampis moschitis). |
▪ II. ruby, v. (
ˈruːbɪ)
[f. the n.] trans. To dye or tinge with the colour of the ruby.
| 1725 Pope Odyss. xx. 426 With sanguine drops the walls are rubied round. 1832 J. Bree St. Herbert's Isle 10 Her cheeks were rubied with the rose's hue. 1844 Cornish Select fr. Serm., etc. (1850) 374 So intense a gleam Rubied the oaken copse. |