red

¹

[ red ]

noun

1. any of various colors resembling the color of blood; the primary color at one extreme end of the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 610 and 780 nanometers.
2. something red.
3. Often Red. Older Slang: Usually Disparaging. a radical leftist in politics, especially a Communist.
4. Informal. red light ( def 1 ).
5. Informal. red wine:

   a glass of red.

6. Also called red bird,. Slang. a capsule of the drug secobarbital, usually red in color:

   He was caught with a half dozen reds in the bottom of his pack of cigarettes.

adjective

, red·der, red·dest.

1. of the color red; of or like the color of blood:

   a red rose.

2. reddish purple in color:

   red wine made from purple grapes.

3. orange, golden brown, or reddish brown in color:

   red hair.

4. having distinctive areas or markings of red:

   a red robin.

5. bloodshot:

   red eyes from allergies.

6. (of the face) flushed or blushing, as from shame:

   cheeks red with embarrassment.

7. of or indicating a state of financial loss or indebtedness:

   the red column in the ledger.

8. Politics. relating to, supporting, or belonging to the Republican Party in the United States; Republican: Compare blue ( def 20a ).

   This is big news in that it flips a red Senate seat to blue.

9. Older Slang: Usually Disparaging.
   1. radically left politically.
   2. Often Red. communist:

      Red China.

10. Older Use: Disparaging and Offensive. relating to, noting, or characteristic of North American Indian peoples.

red

²

[ red ]

verb (used with object)

, red, red·ding.

1. redd ¹.

Red

³

[ red ]

noun

1. a male or female given name.
2. a nickname typically given to someone with red hair.

red-

⁴

1. variant of re- before a vowel or h in some words:

   redintegrate.

-red

⁵

1. a native English suffix, denoting condition, formerly used in the formation of nouns:

   hatred; kindred.

red

¹

/ rɛd /

noun

1. any of a group of colours, such as that of a ripe tomato or fresh blood, that lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to orange, and are perceived by the eye when light in the approximate wavelength range 740–620 nanometres falls on the retina. Red is the complementary colour of cyan and forms a set of primary colours with blue and green rubicundruddy
2. a pigment or dye of or producing these colours
3. red cloth or clothing

   dressed in red

4. a red ball in snooker, billiards, etc
5. (in roulette and other gambling games) one of two colours on which players may place even bets, the other being black
6. Also calledinner archery a red ring on a target, between the blue and the gold, scoring seven points
7. in the red informal.
   in debit; owing money
8. see red informal.
   to become very angry

adjective

1. of the colour red
2. reddish in colour or having parts or marks that are reddish

   red deer

   red hair

3. having the face temporarily suffused with blood, being a sign of anger, shame, etc
4. (of the complexion) rosy; florid
5. (of the eyes) bloodshot
6. (of the hands) stained with blood, as after committing murder
7. bloody or violent

   red revolution

8. (of wine) made from black grapes and coloured by their skins
9. denoting the highest degree of urgency in an emergency; used by the police and the army and informally (esp in the phrase red alert )
10. relating to, supporting, or representing the Republican Party Compare blue

verb

1. another word for redden

red

²

/ rɛd /

verb

1. tr a variant spelling of redd 1

Red

³

/ rɛd /

adjective

1. Communist, Socialist, or Soviet
2. radical, leftist, or revolutionary

noun

1. a member or supporter of a Communist or Socialist Party or a national of a state having such a government, esp the former Soviet Union
2. a radical, leftist, or revolutionary

Derived Forms

• ˈredness, noun
• ˈredly, adverb

Other Words From

• red·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of red¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English red, Old English rēad; cognate with German rot, Dutch rood, Old Norse raudhr, Latin rūfus, ruber, Greek erythrós; rubella, rufescent, erythro-

Origin of red²

Middle English -rede, Old English -rǣden

Word History and Origins

Origin of red¹

Old English rēad ; compare Old High German rōt , Gothic rauths , Latin ruber , Greek eruthros , Sanskrit rohita

Origin of red²

C19: from the colour chosen to symbolize revolutionary socialism

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the red, operating at a loss or being in debt ( in the black ):

   The newspaper strike put many businesses in the red.

2. see red, Informal. to become very angry; become enraged:

   Snobs make her see red.

3. paint the town red. paint ( def 16 ).

More idioms and phrases containing red

• catch red-handed
• in the red
• not worth a dime (red cent)
• paint the town red
• see red

Example Sentences

Based on that lukewarm response, and his comments about helping Ukraine, it does make one wonder if Trump has any “red line” for Putin, and if so, what it is and what he is prepared to do to defend it.

From Los Angeles Times

Wearing a bright red pixie cut and a Carhartt flanel, Diane Fridley, 71, worked to verify votes this week at a computer in the registrar’s office in Lakeport, scrolling her mouse across the screen to identify any issues with ballots.

From Los Angeles Times

With its long eel-like body, gaping mouth and bright red dorsal fins, it’s no surprise that the oarfish calls to mind a sea monster.

From Slate

The real discovery for many will be singer-songwriter Sam Dew, an Antonoff and Sounwave collaborator in the band Red Hearse, who lends some velvety textures to seven tracks.

From Los Angeles Times

If they’re blue or red, their voters are relegated to the cheap seats as distant spectators to the main event being fought in a few purple swing states.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cardinal
• coral
• crimson
• flaming
• glowing
• maroon
• rose
• wine