Rufous () is a color that may be described as reddish-brown or brownish-red, as of rust or oxidised iron. The first recorded use of rufous as a color name in English was in 1782. However, the color is also recorded earlier in 1527 as a diagnostic urine color.
The word "" is derived from the Latin , meaning "red", and is used as an adjective in the names of many animalsâÂÂespecially birdsâÂÂto describe the color of their skin, fur, or plumage.