ruddock

ruddock

See also: Ruddock

English

Alternative forms

• reddock, raddock (dialectal)
• ruddoc, rudock (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English ruddocke, ruddok, roddok, from Old English rudduc, ruduc (“robin, ruddock”, literally “little red one, red-ling”), equivalent to rud (“redness”) +‎ -ock (diminutive suffix). The Welsh rhuddog, and Cornish rudhek (“the redbreast”) are probably from the English, although a derivation from a British Celtic *roudākos (< *roudos "red") for all three cannot be ruled out. More at rud.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʌdək/

Noun

ruddock (plural ruddocks)

1. The European robin.
   • 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, Parlement of Foules:

     The tame ruddock and the coward kite.

2. (obsolete) A piece of gold money (probably because the gold of coins was often reddened by copper alloy).
   • 1611, John Florio, Queen Anna's New World of Words, or Dictionarie of the Italian and English tongues

     Great pieces of gold […] red ruddocks.

3. A variety of red apple.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for ruddock in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913)