What does "ruby" mean?
A clear, deep, red variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone.
Ruby
/ˈɹuː.bi/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A clear, deep, red variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone.
- Grammar: ruby is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: crimson, adamant, agate, alexandrite.
- Useful contrasts: blue, colorless, colorless gem.
- Usage evidence: Ruby on Rails is an agile development platform, which means we can respond to feedback from our customers very quickly.
How to use "ruby"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ruby" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ruby" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ruby" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ruby" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ruby" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "crimson" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ruby", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A clear, deep, red variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone. countable, uncountable
"They respond instantly to the faintest rustling in the covert of a sheaf of Ulysses S. Grants, or the homely, rustic tinkle of a wheelbarrow full of rubies being jounced along over a nightclub floor."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Ruby (“curry”). alt-of, slang
- 3 A curry; ellipsis of Ruby Murray. Cockney, slang
"We're going down the Indian for a Ruby; wanna join us?"
- 4 a deep and vivid red color wordnet
- 5 A deep red colour. countable, uncountable
"When now I thinke you can behold such sights, / And keepe the naturall Rubie of your Cheekes, / When mine is blanch'd with feare."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem wordnet
- 7 The tincture red or gules. countable, uncountable
"Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; and the Field Topaz, and Saltier, and Chief Ruby, was the Arms of King Robert the Bruce, they altering the Field from Pearl (as he bore it) to Topaz."
- 8 a transparent deep red variety of corundum; used as a gemstone and in lasers wordnet
- 9 A ruby hummer, a South American hummingbird, Clytolaema rubricauda. countable, uncountable
- 10 A red bird-of-paradise, Paradisaea rubra. countable, uncountable
- 11 The size of type between pearl and nonpareil, standardized as 5½-point. UK, dated, uncountable
- 12 A pronunciation guide written above or beside Chinese characters. countable, uncountable
- 13 A red spinel. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To make red; to redden. poetic, transitive
"With sanguine drops the walls are rubied"
Adjective
- 1 Of a deep, red color; ruby-red.
Adjective
- 1 of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name.
"Ruby, my dear / Hold back that tear / I know he's gone / Your love has flown"
- 2 A surname. rare
- 3 A male given name. rare
- 4 A dynamic, reflective, general-purpose object-oriented programming language developed in the 1990s.
"Ruby began life in Japan as the creation of Yukihiro Matsumoto, known more commonly as Matz. Unlike that of most language developers, Matz's motivation for Ruby was fun and a principle of “least surprise,” in order to improve overall developer productivity."
- 5 A city in Alaska.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A ghost town in Arizona.
- 7 A town in South Carolina.
- 8 A town in Wisconsin.
- 9 A settlement on the island of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands.
- 10 A locality in South Gippsland Shire, south eastern Victoria, Australia.
Example
"Ruby on Rails is an agile development platform, which means we can respond to feedback from our customers very quickly."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ruby"?
Common synonyms include: crimson, adamant, agate, alexandrite, amethyst, aquamarine.
How do you use "ruby" in a sentence?
Ruby on Rails is an agile development platform, which means we can respond to feedback from our customers very quickly.
How do you pronounce "ruby"?
Pronounced /ˈɹuː.bi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English ruby, rube, from Old French rubi, from Medieval Latin rubīnus. Doublet of rubi and rubine. Etymology 1 sense 7 (“pronunciation guide”) is from the British 5½-point type size (etymology 1 sense 6), used for annotations in printed documents.
Etymology 2
The female name derives from ruby in the 19th century. The programming language was named after the gemstone.