Lewis & Short

rŭbor, ōris, m. [rubeo], redness of all shades, cf. Gell. 2, 26, 5 (class.).

  1. I. In gen.: candore mixtus rubor, Cic. N. D. 1, 27, 75: medicamenta ruboris, id. Or. 23, 79; cf. Ov. M. 3, 491; id. Am. 3, 3, 5 sq.: cui plurimus ignem Subjecit rubor, Verg. A. 12, 66 sq.: quidam ruboris acerrimi, Sen. Q. N. 1, 14, 2; Plin. 11, 38, 91, § 224: in ore impudentia multo rubore effusa, Plin. Pan. 48, 4; Tac. Agr. 45: cocci, Plin. 10, 22, 29, § 56.
    Plur.: Tyrios incocta rubores, i. e. purple, Verg. G. 3, 307: molles rubores, Sen. Herc. Oet. 664.
  2. II. In partic., a blush.
    1. A. Lit.: pudorem rubor consequitur, Cic. Tusc. 4, 8, 19: Masinissae haec audienti non rubor solum suffusus, sed lacrimae etiam obortae, Liv. 30, 15: verecundus, Ov. M. 1, 484; cf. id. ib. 2, 450; 4, 329; 6, 47.
      In a comic equivoque: in ruborem te totum dabo, I will make you red all over, Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 9 (cf. id. Truc. 2, 2, 37 sq.).
    2. B. Meton. (causa pro effectu), shamefacedness, bashfulness, modesty (syn. pudor; not freq. till after the Aug. per.): (orator) praestet ingenuitatem et ruborem suum verborum turpitudine et rerum obscenitate vitandā, Cic. de Or. 2, 59, 242; cf.: ruborem incutere, Liv. 45, 37 fin.: ruborem afferre, Tac. A. 13, 15: vox, quae vel rabulae cuivis ruborem inicere potest, to put to the blush, Auct. Her. 4, 10, 14: vultu modesto ruborisque pleno (shortly after: verecundia oris), Suet. Dom. 18: proprius, Tac. H. 4, 7: antiquitatis, Plin. 36, 1, 2, § 4.
      1. 2. Esp., after the Aug. per., by a further meton. (like pudor), the cause of shame; shame, disgrace: censoris judicium nihil fere damnato nisi ruborem affert, Cic. Rep. 4, 6, 6: nec tunicam tibi sit posuisse, rubori, Ov. Am. 3, 14, 21; cf.: duas res ei rubori fuisse, unam, quod, etc., Liv. 45, 13; 4, 35, 11; so, rubori est (alicui), Tac. A. 14, 55 fin.; 11, 17; for which also: nec rubor est emisse palam, Ov. A. A. 3, 167; Tac. G. 13: minorem quippe ruborem fore in juris iniquitate, quam si, etc., Liv. 4, 35 fin.; cf.: nil tua facta ruboris habent, Ov. H. 20, 204: rubor ac dedecus penes omnes, Tac. H. 1, 30: saepe minus est constantiae in rubore quam in culpā, Curt. 9, 7, 25.