ruddy

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life

   A ruddy complexion.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Ruddy comes from Old English rud, a variant of red. Its use as a euphemism for bloody dates from the late 19th century.

From Middle English ruddy, rody, rudi, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu (“redness”), equivalent to rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”). The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary