Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A limit that when passed or exceeded permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To lurch. (See lurch, transitive verb) In rubicon piquet, when the loser's score does not reach 100 it is added to the winner's. In rubicon bezique, see the extract.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Anc. geog.) A small river which separated Italy from Cisalpine Gaul, the province alloted to Julius Cæsar.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun An ancient Latin name for a small river in northern Italy which flows into the Adriatic Sea. It marked the boundary between the Roman province of Gaul and the Roman heartland. Its crossing by Julius Caesar in 49 BC began a civil war.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the boundary in ancient times between Italy and Gaul; Caesar's crossing it with his army in 49 BC was an act of war
  • noun a line that when crossed permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin Rubicō, Rubicōn-, Rubicon, a short river of north-central Italy, the crossing of which by Julius Caesar and his army in 49 BC began a civil war.]

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Examples

  • RUBICON - Elmer J. Schulz, 80 years, of Rubicon, passed away Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, at St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee, surrounded by his family.

    unknown title 2009

  • Finally, an action sequence in Rubicon, as Will (who has finally connected the dots regarding the Fishers Island brotherhood) delivers an exposition dump to Katherine about the Big Conspiracy, and when he gets home, finds hit man Bloom (acting on Truxton Spangler's orders) waiting to set him up to make his death look like a heroin OD.

    Matt's TV Week in Review 2010

  • News Corp. has obtained a minority stake in Rubicon Project, a Web advertising firm, in exchange for its online ad group Fox Audience Network.

    News Corp. Swaps Business for Stake in Rubicon Kevin Kingsbury 2010

  • AMC has shrewdly scheduled the program not just to help introduce "Rubicon" -- another new drama -- but seemingly to maximize its exposure while the latest round of Emmy ballots are in circulation.

    Variety.com 2010

  • 'Rubicon' -- AMC's march to quality TV continues drama on television this summer.

    Candidateblogs.baltimoresun.com Blogs - Baltimore Sun Candidate Blog 2010

  • (Coincidentally, there is a track here called Rubicon which is also the subtitle of one of the Icon albums (and a track from that same album)).

    Latest reviews @ Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website 2009

  • The name refers to the Rubicon, a river separating ancient Gaul and the Roman Empire.

    Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves 2011

  • The name refers to the Rubicon, a river separating ancient Gaul and the Roman Empire.

    Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves 2011

  • The name refers to the Rubicon, a river separating ancient Gaul and the Roman Empire.

    Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves 2011

  • He had not, although "the movie guy" aka Francis Ford Coppola asked Mr. Graves for some sketches shortly after he'd purchased the old Inglenook property, now known as Rubicon.

    Michael Graves Lettie Teague 2011

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