1. Sorrow for the misery of another; pity; tenderness. [Poetic] "They weep for ruth." Chaucer. "Have ruth of the poor." Piers Plowman. To stir up gentle ruth, Both for her noble blood, and for her tender youth. Spenser.
2. That which causes pity or compassion; misery; distress; a pitiful.
[Obs.]
It had been hard this ruth for to see. Chaucer.
With wretched miseries and woeful ruth. Spenser.
RUTHENIC
Ru*then"ic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or containing, ruthenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which it has a higher valence as contrasted with ruthenious compounds.
RUTHENIOUS
Ru*the"ni*ous, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or containing, ruthenium; designating those compounds in which it has a lower valence as contrasted with ruthenic compounds.
RUTHENIUM
Ru*the"ni*um, n. Etym: [NL. So named from the Ruthenians, a Little
Russian people, as coming from Russia, the metal having been found in
the Ural mountains.] (Chem.)
Defn: A rare element of the light platinum group, found associated with platinum ores, and isolated as a hard, brittle steel-gray metal which is very infusible. Symbol Ru. Atomic weight 103.5. Specific gravity 12.26. See Platinum metals, under Platinum.
RUTHFUL
Ruth"ful, a.
Defn: Full of ruth; as: (a) Pitiful; tender. (b) Full of sorrow; woeful. (c) Causing sorrow. Shak. — Ruth"ful*ly, adv.