reddle

Red ochre, historically used to mark sheep

Noun

  1. Red ochre, historically used to mark sheep
    • All that reddlemen do is sell reddle. You see those bags at the back of my cart? They are […] only full of red stuff. - 1878, Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, page 87:

Origin

Apparently a variation of ruddle, though not certainly.

Forms

reddles

Synonyms

raddle ruddle

Derived

reddleman

Verb

  1. To redden.
    • Reddled and waxed, the room's stone floor was set perhaps two feet below the outside ground. - 1983, Samuel R. Delany, Neveryóna::

Forms

reddles reddling reddled

Synonyms

raddle ruddle