rue
1
[ roo ]
/ ru /
verb (used with object), rued, ru·ing.
to feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly: to rue the loss of opportunities.
to wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc.: I rue the day he was born.
verb (used without object), rued, ru·ing.
to feel sorrow, repentance, or regret.
noun
sorrow; repentance; regret.
pity or compassion.
Origin of rue
1
before 900; (v.) Middle English
ruen,
rewen, Old English
hrēowan; cognate with Dutch
rouwen, German
reuen; (noun) Middle English
rewe, reowe, Old English
hrēow; cognate with Dutch
rouw, German
Reue; cf.
ruth
OTHER WORDS FROM rue
ru·er, noun un·rued, adjectiveWords nearby rue
Definition for rue (2 of 3)
rue
2
[ roo ]
/ ru /
noun
any strongly scented plant of the genus Ruta, especially R. graveolens, having yellow flowers and leaves formerly used in medicine.
Compare
rue family.
Origin of rue
2
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin
rūta < Greek
rhȳtḗ
Definition for rue (3 of 3)
de la Rue
[ del-uh roo, del-uh roo ]
/ ˈdɛl ə ˌru, ˌdɛl ə ˈru /
noun
Warren,1815–89,
English astronomer and inventor.
Example sentences from the Web for rue
British Dictionary definitions for rue (1 of 2)
rue
1
/ (ruː) /
verb rues, ruing or rued
to feel sorrow, remorse, or regret for (one's own wrongdoing, past events with unpleasant consequences, etc)
noun
archaic
sorrow, pity, or regret
Derived forms of rue
ruer, nounWord Origin for rue
Old English
hrēowan; related to Old Saxon
hreuwan, Old High German
hriuwan
British Dictionary definitions for rue (2 of 2)
rue
2
/ (ruː) /
noun
any rutaceous plant of the genus Ruta, esp R. graveolens, an aromatic Eurasian shrub with small yellow flowers and evergreen leaves which yield an acrid volatile oil, formerly used medicinally as a narcotic and stimulant
Archaic name: herb of grace Compare goat's-rue, meadow rue, wall rue
Word Origin for rue
C14: from Old French, from Latin
rūta, from Greek
rhutē