rufous Synonyms
Another word for rufous
• adjective (Context 1)
Reddish-brown or rust-colored in appearance, especially in reference to the plumage of birds, the fur of mammals, or the surface of fungi and plants.
"The male hummingbird flashed its bright rusty tail feathers as it hovered near the feeder."
• noun (Context 2)
A reddish-brown or rust-red color, similar to oxidized iron.
"The artist mixed burnt sienna and ochre to capture the warm russet of the fox's winter coat."
• noun (Context 3)
A small, feisty migratory hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) native to western North America, characterized by rusty-orange plumage and a brilliant iridescent scarlet throat patch in males (used informally as short for rufous hummingbird).
"Every late summer, a territorial hummingbird claims the salvia patch in our backyard during its southward migration."