Rutilaunt

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Glowing or gleaming with a bright, reddish or golden lustre, as though lit from within
2. Describing something that shines with a warm, ruddy brilliance, like polished metal or a sunset
3. Having a vivid, radiant sheen of red or gold that catches and holds the light

Etymology: The Latin verb "rutilare" meant to glow or shine with a reddish light, and it came from "rutilus," reddish or golden. Its present participle, "rutilans," gave English a word for something that gleams with a warm, ruddy brilliance, as a flame or a sunset does. The spelling "rutilaunt" is a variant of the more common "rutilant," with the same meaning. The two forms show how English writers sometimes spelled Latin-derived participles with a French-influenced ending, so the sound stayed close to the Latin while the letters varied.