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Glite Dictionary
ruddock

ruddock

9.9
A small bird that sings with a red breast often seen in gardens
  • noun
  • /ˈrʌdək/
  • Archaic
translation icon : petirrojo
  • He called the red-breasted robin a "ruddock"; the sweetly singing thrush a "gladsome mavis."

Examples

  • In the quiet garden, a small bird with a red breast, known as the ruddock, chirped happily among the flowers.

  • "Joze listened to each naming and remembered how his grandfather Crey used to tell him that his own grandfather had spoken of the ruddock and the mavis.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The old poem described a ruddock perched on a branch, singing sweetly at dawn.

  • During springtime, the ruddock can be seen hopping around our backyard, looking for insects to eat.

Synonyms

robin
vsruddock
  • UK
9 1.0

A small bird that sings with a red or orange breast found in Europe and Asia

is an older poetic term rather than the modern everyday name
redbreast
vsruddock
  • Archaic
1 8.1

A small songbird with a red chest, like the European robin

is an older poetic form rather than the standard common name
robin redbreast
vsruddock
  • UK
1 4.1

A small brown bird with a bright red breast often seen in gardens and woods

is the older poetic word rather than the everyday common name
Erithacus rubecola
vsruddock
  • Specialized
9.9

A small bird with a red-orange chest often seen in European gardens

is an older poetic term rather than the species scientific name
Old World robin
vsruddock
  • UK
5.0

A small European bird with a red breast that sings and lives in gardens and woods

is the older poetic word rather than the neutral regional name

Surface Forms

ruddock singular
ruddocks plural

Etymology

The word ruddock is an old name for the robin and comes from an old root rud- meaning 'red', like the English word red, plus a small-name ending -ock. So a ruddock is literally the 'little red one', which explains the robin's red breast.