crimson
Americannoun
verb
-
to make or become crimson
-
(intr) to blush
Other Word Forms
- crimsonly adverb
- crimsonness noun
Etymology
Origin of crimson
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English cremesin, cremesie, crensein, crim(e)sin, from Medieval Latin cremesīnus, ultimately from Arabic qirmizī, equivalent to qirmiz + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; kermes; carmine, cramoisy
Explanation
Crimson is a deep, vivid shade of red. You could describe flowers, blood, or blushing cheeks as crimson. The ruby red color crimson shows up brilliantly in nature, in the form of flowers, birds, and insects. In fact, it was an insect that led to the word crimson in the first place; an insect called kermes was used for centuries to make a deep red dye, which was called cremesin in Old Spanish and eventually became crimson.
Vocabulary lists containing crimson
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Frindle
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Red
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chase Infiniti, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio's daughter in One Battle After Another, wore a sculpted, deep crimson dress which flared out beautifully at the bottom.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026
“It actually doesn’t hurt that much,” Althouse said, as Soria pokes her arm with a needle that was just dipped into a pot of crimson ink.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025
Determined to save her mother, Mae answers a supernatural summons and finds herself entering a cave where the flowers bloom under the bulging eyes of a dragon—a scaly, crimson, undulating monster straight from Chinese folklore.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
Nine keys are kept in a crimson velvet bag, but only one will open the box.
From BBC • May 10, 2025
The forest was drenched in jeweled hues: the cerulean waters of Peace, the gilded light of Pleasure, the emerald luster of Progress, the crimson blaze of Pain.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
