Word of the Day

: April 17, 2007

rutilant

adjective ROO-tuh-lunt

What It Means

: having a reddish glow

rutilant in Context

Embarrassed by the surprise party we threw for her, Joyce held up her hands in an effort to hide her rutilant face.

Did You Know?

"Rutilant," which first appeared in English late in the 15th century, is used in English today to describe anything with a reddish or fiery glow, such as a sunset or flushed skin. It derives from the Latin "rutilus," meaning "ruddy," which is probably related to the Latin "ruber," meaning "red." "Ruber" itself is a direct ancestor of our word "rubella" (a disease named for the reddish color one's skin turns when afflicted with the condition) and "rubric" (which, among other things, can refer to a book or manuscript heading that is done or underlined in red). "Ruber" is also a distant relative of several English words for things that bear a reddish tone (including "russet," "rouge," and "ruby") and even of the word "red" itself.