From Latin 'rubrica' (red earth/ink) — medieval manuscript headings were written in red, so 'rubric' came to mean any heading or instruction.
A heading or category; a set of instructions or rules; a scoring guide.
From Latin 'rubrica' (red earth, red ochre), from 'ruber' (red). In medieval manuscripts, section headings and important instructions were written in red ink to distinguish them from the black text. The color became the concept. Key roots: ruber (Latin: "red").
A teacher's grading 'rubric' is etymologically red. Medieval scribes wrote headings and instructions in red ink ('rubrica') to make them stand out from black body text. Church liturgical directions were called 'rubrics' because priests read the red-ink instructions to know what to do next. The color