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red definition

red (red)

noun

  1. a primary color, or any of a spread of colors at the lower end of the visible spectrum, varying in hue from that of blood to pale rose or pink
  2. a pigment producing this color

  3. Etymology: from the red flag symbolizing revolutionary socialism

    Informal a political radical or revolutionary; esp., a communist
  4. anything colored red, as a red space on a roulette wheel, a red checker piece, or red clothing
  5. red wine
  6. Slang a red capsule of secobarbital, a barbiturate: usually used in pl.

Etymology: ME < OE read, akin to Ger rot, ON rauthr < IE base *reudh-, red > Gr erythros, L ruber, rufus, red, rubere, to be red, OIr rūad, Lith raũdas, red

adjective redder red′·der, reddest red′·dest

  1. having or being of the color red or any of its hues
  2. having red hair
    1. having a reddish or coppery skin
    2. florid, flushed, or blushing
    3. bloodshot
    4. sore; inflamed
    1. politically radical or revolutionary; esp., communist
    2. of the Soviet Union
  5. of or designating red wine

Related Forms:

red Idioms

in the red

☆

Etymology: from the practice of entering negative amounts in account books with red ink

in debt or losing money

into the red

☆
into debt or an unprofitable financial condition

see red

Informal to be or become angry

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

business red definition - business

idioms red idiom

red Synonyms

red

n.

Hues of red include: scarlet, carmine, vermilion, crimson, cerise, cherry-red, beet-red, ruby, garnet, maroon, brick-red, infrared, far infrared, near infrared, claret, rust, red-gold, magenta, pink, damask, coral-red, blood-red, solferino, fuchsia, russet, terra cotta, bittersweet, geranium lake, nacarat, nacarine, Harvard crimson, hyacinth red, Chinese red, Morocco red, caldron, Turkey red, Alizarin red, aniline red, aurora red, Bengal red, Congo red, Venetian red, Indian red, Indian ocher, chrome-red, carthamus red, rose, rose de Pompadour, rose blush, rose du Barry, old rose, Tyrian purple, fire engine red, candy apple red;

in the red

in debt, losing money, operating at a loss, going broke*; see indebted.

see red*

become angry, lose one's temper, get mad; see rage 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

red Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • dark: The second category of energizing colors is the brighter, but not dark, reds.
  • bright: When the leaves are young they are bright red, as they mature they turn green.

Modifies a noun

  • tape: Business prepares to face new swathe of red tape.

Modifying Another Word

  • infra: Now I just need to find a way to locate my phone under infra red light.

Used with adjective complement

  • glow: Wait until the charcoal is glowing red, with a powdery gray surface, before you start to cook.

Preposition: in

  • tooth: The reality now is that nature is " red in tooth and claw " .
red usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

red quotes

I had shown my colors. Those who took their red straight, without a chaser of white and blue, were not mollified.

-Acheson, Dean Gooderham

   The rose is red, the leaves are green, God save Elizabeth, our noble queen.

-Anonymous

When their lordships asked Bacon How many bribes he had taken He had at least the grace To get very red in the face.

-Bentley, Edmund Clerihew

red quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"red." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/red>

APA Style

red. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/red

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