Rubicon

See also: rubicon

English

Etymology

From Latin Rubicō, Rubicōn (“the Rubicon”),[1] possibly from rubeus (“red, reddish”), from rubeō (“to be red”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”), an allusion to the colour of the river caused by mud deposits.

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Rubicon

  1. (historical) A small river in northeastern Italy which flowed into the Adriatic Sea marking the boundary between the Roman province of Gaul and the Roman heartland. Its crossing by Julius Caesar in 49 B.C.E. began a civil war.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

Rubicon (plural Rubicons)

  1. Alternative letter-case form of rubicon

References
  1. “Rubicon, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2011; “Rubicon” (US) / “Rubicon” (UK) in Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press.

Further reading

Latin

Etymology
The river's mouth

Pronunciation
  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈru.bi.koːn/, [ˈrʊ.bɪ.koːn]

Proper noun

Rubicōn m (genitive Rubicōnis); third declension

  1. Rubicon

Declension

Third declension.

Case Singular
Nominative Rubicōn
Genitive Rubicōnis
Dative Rubicōnī
Accusative Rubicōnem
Ablative Rubicōne
Vocative Rubicōn

References
  • Rubicon in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
  • Rubicon in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly
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