ruddy
part of speech
adjective (ruddy, ruddier, ruddiest); adverb (ruddy — UK, informal)
meaning for a pupil
1) A ruddy face is healthy and red or pink, often from being outdoors. tree →
2) Ruddy can mean reddish in colour. tree →
3) (UK, mild swearing, old-fashioned) Ruddy is a softer word for «bloody», used to show annoyance or for emphasis. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: It means reddish; Esau was born red all over and covered in hair. It can also mean healthy and handsome, as David was, or a glowing red-pink colour, as in the Song of Songs and Lamentations. Interpretation: The rabbis linked Esau's redness to bloodshed and to the name Edom, "red," from which his people came. David's ruddy look is read as a sign of his fitness to be king. In the primary lessons: In stories a farmer or sailor has «ruddy cheeks» from wind and sun. In UK everyday talk, older people may say «the ruddy car won't start» when cross; it is a mild word, a polite replacement for a ruder one. Phrases: ruddy cheeks, ruddy complexion, ruddy hell (UK, mild).
examples
- And the first came forth ruddy, all over like a hairy mantle; and they called his name Esau. (Torah GEN.25.25, JPS 1917) tree →
- 'My beloved is white and ruddy, pre-eminent above ten thousand. (Writings SNG.5.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- Now he was ruddy, and withal of beautiful eyes, and goodly to look upon. (Prophets 1SA.16.12, JPS 1917) tree →
- Her princes were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire; (Writings LAM.4.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- The fisherman had a ruddy face from the sea wind. tree →
- Her cheeks were ruddy after the snowball fight. tree →
- The sky had a ruddy glow at sunset. tree →
- This ruddy printer has jammed again! (UK, mild swearing) tree →
- Grandad said, «It's ruddy freezing out there!» (UK) tree →
- The ruddy fox crept across the field. tree →
- Rudy turned round, and beheld a man with a ruddy, pleasant face, and a stout figure. tree →
note
Adjective forms: ruddier, ruddiest. The swearing sense is mild and old-fashioned, a euphemism for «bloody»; it is still better not used in class. The colour sense is not rude at all.
In the corpora
- And the first came forth ruddy, all over like a hairy mantle; and they called his name Esau.
- Now he was ruddy, and withal of beautiful eyes, and goodly to look upon.
- 'My beloved is white and ruddy, pre-eminent above ten thousand.
- "Ruddy" is an old-fashioned British stand-in for "bloody".
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «ruddy» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.