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RHUBARB
Definition of RHUBARB
noun
Any plant of the genus Rheum, especially Rheum rhabarbarum, having large leaves and long green or reddish acidic leafstalks that are edible, in particular when cooked (although the leaves are mildly poisonous).
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
From Middle English rubarbe, from Anglo-Norman reubarbe (modern French rhubarbe), from Late Latin reubarbarum, rheubarbarum, rubarbera, rybarba, probably from Koine Greek ῥῆον βαρβαρικόν (rhêon barbarikón), from ῥῆον (rhêon, “rhubarb”) + Ancient Greek βαρβαρικόν (barbarikón), neuter of βαρβαρικός (barbarikós, “foreign; barbaric”) (English barbaric). There is also a Medieval Latin variant rabarbarum, which appears to be influenced by Ancient Greek ῥᾶ (rhâ, “rhubarb”), and gave rise to some of the forms in modern languages. The Ancient Greek variant term appears to have been folk-etymologically influenced by Ancient Greek Ῥᾶ (Rhâ, “the River Volga”), which is in the region from which the plant came to the Mediterranean. The ultimate origin of the Ancient Greek terms is, however, Proto-Iranian *(h)rabā́š (“rhubarb, fennel”). The word is cognate with Catalan ruibarbre, Italian rabarbaro, Dutch rabarber, German Rhabarber, Old Occitan reubarbe, Portuguese ruibarbo, Spanish ruibarbo.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
4 recorded generations before English.
Deepest traced root
3rd
of 59 source languages in OUTLIER
12.3%
of traced words share this origin (10,555)
branch · 12.3% of traced words
How it is built
Same root, RHUBARB · 3 relatives in the game
Its etymology also names Catalan, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Old Occitan, Portuguese, Spanish.
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
RHUBARB in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 1 board so far.
It first turned up on Day 151, 18 October 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 22 days.
First ever to find it
on Day 151, 18 October 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
RHUBARB starts with R and ends with B. Sorted, its letters read ABBHRRU - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. R and B appear more than once.
Words that start RHUBAR
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Could you have found RHUBARB?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 151 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER