rufescent

R1U1F4E1S1C3E1N1T1

adjective

Becoming reddish; tinged with red.

Scrabble 14

Meanings

adjectiverufescent (comparative more rufescent, superlative most rufescent)

comparative more rufescent · superlative most rufescent

  1. Becoming reddish; tinged with red.

    Flesh unchanging or slowly rufescent.

    1972, Edred John Henry Corner, Boletus in Malaysia, page 42
    2 more examples

    The more inland, lighter race is distinguished from A. u. uropygialis in being much paler on the back, by the edgings of the forehead scallopings and auriculars being paler, and by having the brown of the forehead less deep and less rufescent.

    1937, The Emu: Official Organ of the Australasian Ornithologists' Union

    Flesh white, but quickly rufescent where cut, at first full, becoming more spongy stuffed, and frequently hollow in old specimens, [...]

    1975, Michael Jordan, A Guide to Mushrooms, page 72

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Latinrufescens
  2. Englishrufescent

Circa 1820, from Latin rufescens, present participle of rufescere (“to become reddish”), from rufus (“red”).

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with rufescent

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Cite this entry
APA

rufescent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rufescent

MLA

“rufescent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rufescent. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rufescent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rufescent.

Source: rufescent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.