rubescent en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ɹuːˈbɛsənt/
Etymology
Attested since at least 1730, from Latin rubescens, present participle of rubescere. By surface analysis, Latin rub(eō) + -escent.
Meanings
-
turning red; reddening
Then he could see the modest bookseller, somewhat clammy in his extremities and lost within his academic robe and hood, nervously fidgeting his mortar-board, haled forward by ushers, and tottering rubescent before the chancellor, provost, president (or whoever it might be) who hands out the diploma.
1919, Christopher Morley, “Again the Narrative is Retarded”, in The Haunted Bookshop, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, →OCLC, page 171:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more rubescent | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most rubescent | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |