RUBRIC

noun Etymology: Middle English rubrike red ocher, heading in red letters of part of a book, from Anglo-French, from Latin ~a, from rubr-, ruber red Date: 14th century 1. an authoritative rule, b. name , title , something under which a thing is classed ; category , an explanatory or introductory commentary ; gloss , a heading of a part of a book or manuscript done or underlined in a color (as red) different from the rest, an established rule, tradition, or custom, ~ or ~al adjective ~ally adverb