rhubarb

Meanings

Noun

• Any plant of the genus Rheum, especially Rheum rhabarbarum (species), having large leaves and long green or reddish acidic leafstalks that are edible, in particular when cooked (although the leaves are mildly poisonous).
• The leafstalks of common rhubarb or garden rhubarb (usually known as Rheum × hybridum), which are long, fleshy, often pale red, and with a tart taste, used as a food ingredient; they are frequently stewed with sugar and made into jam or used in crumbles, pies, etc.
• The dried rhizome and roots of Rheum palmatum (species) (Chinese rhubarb) or Rheum officinale (species) (Tibetan rhubarb), from China, used as a laxative and purgative.
• operations by aircraft (fighters and fighter-bombers) involving low-level flight to seek opportunistic targets.
• A ditch alongside a road or highway.
• General background noise caused by several simultaneous indecipherable conversations, which is created in films, stage plays, etc., by actors repeating the word rhubarb; hence, such noise in other settings.
• An excited, angry exchange of words, especially at a sporting event.
• A brawl.

Adjective

• Of the colour of rhubarb: either brownish-yellow (the colour of rhubarb rhizomes and roots used for medicinal purposes), or pale red (often the colour of the leafstalks of common rhubarb).

Verb

• Of fighter aircraft: to fire at a target opportunistically.
• Of an actor in a film, stage play, etc.: to repeat the word rhubarb to create the sound of indistinct conversation; hence, to converse indistinctly, to mumble.
• To articulate indistinctly or mumble (words or phrases); to say inconsequential or vague things because one does not know what to say, or to stall for time.

Related

Similar words

• tusky

Origin

• From Middle English rubarbe, from Anglo-Norman reubarbe (modern French rhubarbe), from Late Latin reubarbarum, rheubarbarum, rubarbera, rybarba, probably from Koine Greek ῥῆον βάρβαρον, from ῥῆον + Ancient Greek βάρβαρον, neuter of βάρβαρος (English barbarian). It has also been suggested the Latin terms are from Latin Rha ("the River Volga") (which is in the region from which the plant came to the Mediterranean, cognate with New Latin Rheum) + barbarum.
• The word is cognate with Catalan ruibarbre, Italian rabarbaro, Dutch rabarber, German Rhabarber, Old Occitan reubarbe, Portuguese ruibarbo, Spanish ruibarbo.
• Attributed to the practice by the theatre company of English actor Charles Kean (1811–1868) at the Princess’s Theatre, London, of actors saying the word rhubarb repetitively to mimic the sound of indistinct conversation, the word having been chosen because it does not have harsh-sounding consonants or clear vowels.
• The baseball senses are said to have been coined by the American sports writer Garry Schumacher and popularized by the American baseball commentator Red Barber (1908–1992). Barber also claimed to have started using the word in the 1940s, based on the practice in “early radio dramas” (presumably in the US, ) of actors repetitively voicing rhubarb. However, unlike the UK usage, he felt the practice applied to muttering by an angry mob, and so applied the word to arguments on the baseball field where he could not distinguish the words.