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to rubricate

to rubricate

9.9
Use red letters in writing to show headings and important parts
  • verb
  • /ˈruːbrɪkeɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rubricar
  • In the historical document, the instructions were rubricated in red to draw attention to the important changes.

Examples

  • The artist took care to rubricate the title page, using vibrant red ink to enhance the decorative elements.

  • The message was gorgeously rubricated, formal in style and diction, but the intent was plain and unmistakable.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The ancient manuscript was beautifully rubricated, with red initials marking the beginning of each chapter.

Synonyms

to illuminate
vsto rubricate
5 8.3

To decorate old hand-written books with gold and bright pictures

uses red markings on text mainly for headings and instruction rather than pictures
to miniate
vsto rubricate
  • Archaic
9.9

To decorate manuscript pages with bright red paint

marks manuscripts with red letters for emphasis headings or instructions
to red-ink
vsto rubricate
7.5

Mark writing with red ink to show mistakes or important parts

focuses on marking manuscripts with red letters for emphasis or instructions
to raddle
vsto rubricate
  • Archaic
9.9

To mark animals or objects with colored paint for identification

applies specifically to marking manuscripts with red letters for emphasis or guidance

How Emphatic

to rubricate
  • Specialized
9.9
to emphasize
  • US
397 3.7
to highlight
340 3.3
to annotate
8 4.8
to mark
203 1.4

Surface Forms

rubricate infinitive
rubricated past
rubricated past participle
rubricating present participle
rubricates third person singular

Morphology

rubricate = rubric (semi-transparent) = rubric + ate

The meaning of 'rubricate' as marking with red is related to 'rubric', but the specific action of marking is not directly obvious from the noun.

Etymology

Rubricate comes from the Latin word ruber, which means 'red', and it shares the same root as ruby and rubric. In old manuscripts scribes wrote headings and important letters in red ink, so to rubricate is to mark or decorate text in red to show emphasis.