ruddleman means someone who deals in ruddle (red ochre), usually itinerant and red-stained. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “ruddleman” is a great word
RUDDLEMAN — [Noun] An itinerant dealer in ruddle, a red ochre used for marking sheep, typically stained red from the pigment. From ruddle (a red ochre used for marking sheep) + -man (agent suffix). First attested in print in 1622, possibly coined by Michael Drayton. Unlike a peddler, who hawks a miscellany, or a merchant, who trades from a fixed establishment, the ruddleman is defined by his singular, staining commodity. He was a walking specter of vermilion, his hands and clothes permanently dyed the color of rust, his pack carrying the powder that would mark the flocks, his very breath tasting of iron and clay. He walked a countryside he could not touch without leaving a trace, a human testament to how a man becomes the thing he sells.
Etymology
From ruddle + -man. First appears in print in 1622, possibly coined by Michael Drayton.
noun
- Someone who deals in ruddle (red ochre), usually itinerant and red-stained“And little Rutlandshire is tearmed Raddleman.”