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ferruginous

UK/fəˈɹuːd͡ʒɪnəs/UK/fəˈɹuːd͡ʒənəs/Canada, US/fəˈɹud͡ʒənəs/Australia, New Zealand/fəˈɹʉːd͡ʒənəs/

adjective

What it means

  1. Synonym of ferrous, of or related to iron.

    Synonyms: ferrous, of or related to iron

  2. Synonym of rusty, of or related to rust, rust-colored.

    A few miles north of Coquimbo, I met with the ferruginous, balaniferous mass (E) with many silicified bones; I was informed that these silicified bones occur also at Tonguay, south of Coquimbo […]

    1846, Charles Darwin, Geological Observations on South America

    Synonyms: rusty, of or related to rust, rust-colored

In a sentence

A few miles north of Coquimbo, I met with the ferruginous, balaniferous mass (E) with many silicified bones; I was informed that these silicified bones occur also at Tonguay, south of Coquimbo […]

1846, Charles Darwin, Geological Observations on South America

Where it comes from

  1. Latinferrūgineus
  2. Englishferruginous

Borrowed from Latin ferrūgineus, from ferrūgo (“rust”).

Full entry for ferruginous →

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