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rug·ged (rŭgĭd)
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adj.
1. Having a rough irregular surface: rugged terrain.
2. Having strong features marked with furrows or wrinkles: the rugged face of the old sailor.
3. Having a sturdy build or strong constitution: a rugged trapper who spent months in the wilderness.
4. Tempestuous; stormy: the rugged weather of the North Atlantic.
5. Demanding great effort, ability, or endurance: the rugged conditions of barracks life.
6. Lacking culture or polish; coarse and rude: rugged manners and ribald wit.
[Middle English, shaggy, of Scandinavian origin.]
rugged·ly adv.
rugged·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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