a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
"She slipped the brilliant ruby onto her finger, admiring how the light caught in its facets."
a transparent deep red variety of corundum; used as a gemstone and in lasers
"The jeweler carefully cut the rough ruby into a brilliant-cut stone for the engagement ring, while scientists elsewhere were testing similar rubies for use in high-powered medical lasers."
A clear, deep, red variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone.
"I ordered a spicy ruby at the Indian restaurant to try something new."
A pronunciation guide written above or beside Chinese or Japanese characters.
A curry, short for Ruby Murray.
In plain English: A ruby is a precious red gemstone made of aluminum oxide with chromium.
"She wore a stunning ruby in her necklace to the gala."
Usage: Use this term to refer specifically to the gemstone form of red corundum rather than using it metaphorically or interchangeably with other colored stones like rubies and sapphires which are distinct varieties based on their hue. When describing jewelry or geology, ensure you specify that natural rubies often contain trace chromium elements responsible for their characteristic deep red color.
To make red; to redden.
"The hot sun made his cheeks ruby as he ran up the steep hill."
In plain English: To ruby means to turn something red, usually by adding dye or paint.
"The camera will automatically ruby the photos if they are out of focus."
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
"The sunset painted the sky in shades of ruby, turning the clouds into glowing streaks of deep red."
Of a deep red colour.
"The sunset turned the sky into a vast canvas of ruby, painting the clouds in shades of deep crimson."
In plain English: Ruby describes something that is red and shiny like a precious gemstone.
"The ruby eyes of the bird caught the sunlight as it flew over the garden."
A female given name from English.
"My sister Ruby just started her new job at the marketing firm downtown."
The word ruby comes from the Old French rubi and Medieval Latin rubīnus, originally referring to a red gemstone. It entered English through Middle English as a direct borrowing of these earlier forms.