Meanings
Rus1
alternative Rus' · alternative Rūs
- countableuncountableA people made up of Scandinavian warrior merchants who travelled Eastern European river-roads from the eighth century, and whose settlements around Novgorod, Kiev/Kyiv and the Volga and Dnieper/Dnipro gave rise to the Rus' principalities.First known use 19th c.
In 860 the Rus’ streamed southwards and laid siege to Constantinople itself.
2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 504Synonyms: Varangians
- countableuncountableKievan Rus, the medieval East Slavic state established by these same warrior merchants in the 9th century, whose capital was in Kiev.
Synonyms: Kievan Rus, Kievan Rus', Kyivan Rus, Kyivan Rus', Kiev, Kyiv
- countableuncountableAny of the medieval East Slavic principalities ruled by this class, especially Kievan Rus.
- countablepoeticuncountableThe nation of Russia, especially in a transcendent or romantic sense referring to the history and culture of the country.
alternative Rus' · alternative Rūs
- A person from Rus.
If a Varangian claimed money from a Rus, or a Rus from a Varangian, and the debtor refused to pay, the plaintiff, accompanied by twelve witnesses, . . .
1959, Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich Solov’ev, History of Russia from the Earliest Times [2000], v 3 (The Shift Northward: Kievan Rus, 1154–1228), p 2232 more examples
And if a Rus hits a Greek, or a Greek a Rus with a sword, a spear or any other weapon, he shall pay five litres of silver for his offence, in accordance with Rus law; and if he be unable (insolvent—Author) his property shall be sold for the best price it fetches, including the very clothes . . .
1959, Boris Dmitrievich Grekov, Kiev Rus, Foreign Languages Pub. House, p 244The Church of Kievan Rus knew men well-versed in Scripture and apparently other learning of the time, such as the Metropolitans Ioann II (d. 1089) and Klimetn Smoliatich (twelfth century). The former was Greek, and the latter a Rus.
1973, Donald W. Treadgold, The West in Russia and China: Religious and Secular Thought in Modern Times, v 1 (Russia, 1472–1917), p xxxv
RUS2
- USabbreviationinitialismInitialism of Rural Utilities Service.
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA people made up of Scandinavian warrior merchants who travelled Eastern European river-roads from the eighth century, and whose settlements around Novgorod, Kiev/Kyiv and the Volga and Dnieper/Dnipro gave rise to the Rus' principalities.
proper nounKievan Rus, the medieval East Slavic state established by these same warrior merchants in the 9th century, whose capital was in Kiev.
East Slavic principalities
Origin
- Old East SlavicРусь
- RussianРусь
- Old East SlavicРусь
- GermanRusse
- EnglishRus
Earlier form Russ from German Russe etc., from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). More recent use influenced by Russian Русь (Rusʹ), from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). Use with macron was probably influenced by the transliteration of Arabic رُوس (rūs). Compare Russ, Russian, Russie, Russniak, Rusyn, Ruthenian. Also compare Swedish Ryss, Dutch Rus, German Russe, French Russe, Medieval Greek Ῥῶς (Rhôs), Russian Русь (Rusʹ), Belarusian Русь (Rusʹ), Ukrainian Русь (Rusʹ). Also compare Russian ру́сский (rússkij, “Ethnic Russian, of Rus”), россия́нин (rossijánin, “Russian national”), Росси́я (Rossíja, “Russia”). See further Etymology of Rus and derivatives.
More words from German, Old East Slavic, Russian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Roes
- Roespeople
Arabic رُوس, رُوس
- رُوس (rūs)people
- رُوس (rūs)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Bulgarian Рус, Рус
- Рус (Rus)people
- Рус (Rus)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Рус (Rus)any of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Chinese Mandarin 羅斯 /罗斯, 羅斯 /罗斯
- 羅斯 /罗斯 (Luósī)people
- 羅斯 /罗斯 (Luósī)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- 羅斯 /罗斯 (Luósī)any of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Czech Rus, Rus
- Ruspeople
- Rusmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rusany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Dutch Roes
- Roesmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Esperanto rusjanoj, Rusjo
- rusjanojpeople
- Rusjomedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rusjoany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Finnish rusit, Rutenia
- rusitpeople
- Ruteniamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rusjany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
French Rus', Rus
- Rus'people
- Ruspeople
- Rus'medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rous'medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ruthéniemedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
German Rus, Rus
- Ruspeople
- Rusmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ruthenienmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Greek Ρως, Ρως
- Ρως (Ros)people
- Ρως (Ros)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ῥῶς (Rhôs)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ρως (Ros)any of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Hebrew רוס, רוּס
- רוס (rus)people
- רוּס (rus)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Hindi रूस
- रूस (rūs)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Indonesian Rus, Rus
- Ruspeople
- Rusmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Italian Rutenia, Rus'
- Ruteniamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rus'medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Japanese ルーシ, ルーシ
- ルーシ (Rūshi)people
- ルーシ (Rūshi)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- ルテニア (Rutenia)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- ルーシ (Rūshi)any of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Korean 루시, 루시
- 루시 (Rusi)people
- 루시 (Rusi)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- 루테니아 (Rutenia)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Latin Ruthenia, Russia
- Rutheniapeople
- Russiamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rutheniamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Latvian Krievzeme, Krievzeme
- Krievzemepeople
- Krievzememedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Krievzemeany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Lithuanian Rusia
- Rusiamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Malay Rus, Rus
- Ruspeople
- Rusmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rus'medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Polish Ruś, Ruś
- Ruśpeople
- Ruśmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ruśany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Portuguese rus, Ruténia
- ruspeople
- Ruténiamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rutêniamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ruténiaany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
- Rutêniaany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Russian Русь, ру́сичи
- Русь (Rusʹ)people
- ру́сичи (rúsiči)people
- русь (rusʹ)people
- Русь (Rusʹ)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ру́сская земля́ (Rússkaja zemljá)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Руте́ния (Ruténija)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Русь (Rusʹ)any of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Slovak Rus, Rus
- Ruspeople
- Rusmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rusany of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Spanish Rus, Rutenia
- Ruspeople
- Ruteniamedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Swedish ruser
- ruserpeople
Turkish Rus
- Rusmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Ukrainian Русь, русь
- Русь (Rusʹ)people
- русь (rusʹ)people
- ру́сичі (rúsyči)people
- Русь (Rusʹ)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Ру́ська земля́ (Rúsʹka zemljá)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Руте́нія (Ruténija)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Русь (Rusʹ)any of the medieval East Slavic principalities
Urdu رُوس
- رُوس (rūs)medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Vietnamese Rus', Rus
- Rus'medieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
- Rusmedieval East Slavic state, usually or often with a qualifier "Kyiv", "Kievan"
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Rus
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Rus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rus
“Rus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rus. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rus.
Source: Rus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.