red-eye vs rhubarb

red-eye

noun
  • An overnight airplane flight. 

  • Either of two subspecies of the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), a venomous pit viper native to the United States: either the broad-banded copperhead or Texas copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus), or the highland moccasin or northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen). 

  • The redeye tetra (Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae), a freshwater fish, commonly kept in aquariums, native to South America. 

  • The red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus), a small American songbird. 

  • Redness in the eye(s) of someone in a colour photograph, as an unwanted consequence of light from a flash reflecting off blood vessels in the retina. 

  • Any of various sunfishes of the family Centrarchidae, especially the redeye bass (Micropterus coosae). 

  • A drink made by adding a shot of espresso to a cup of coffee. 

  • A strong but poor-quality whiskey. 

  • The red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas), which is native to neotropical rainforests. 

  • Redness of the conjunctiva; especially when caused by conjunctivitis (pink-eye). 

  • The common rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), a freshwater fish. 

  • A species of cicada, Psaltoda moerens, native to eastern Australia. 

  • Any of various round herrings of the genus Etrumeus. 

  • Any of various grass-skippers or hesperiid butterflies of the genus Matapa. 

  • A drink consisting of beer with tomato juice. 

verb
  • Often followed by it: to travel on a red-eye (“an overnight airplane flight”). 

rhubarb

noun
  • A Royal Air Force World War II code name for operations by aircraft (fighters and fighter-bombers) involving low-level flight to seek opportunistic targets. 

  • Any plant of the genus Rheum, especially Rheum rhabarbarum, having large leaves and long green or reddish acidic leafstalks that are edible, in particular when cooked (although the leaves are mildly poisonous). 

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • Nonsense; false utterance. 

  • A brawl. 

  • A ditch alongside a road or highway. 

  • The dried rhizome and roots of Rheum palmatum (Chinese rhubarb) or Rheum officinale (Tibetan rhubarb), from China, used as a laxative and purgative. 

verb
  • Of fighter aircraft: to fire at a target opportunistically. 

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

adj
  • 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). 

How often have the words red-eye and rhubarb occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )