red-handed

[ red-han-did ]

adjective

1. in the very act of a crime, wrongdoing, etc., or in possession of self-incriminating evidence:

   They caught him red-handed dipping into the till.

red-handed

adjective

1. postpositive in the act of committing a crime or doing something wrong or shameful (esp in the phrase catch red-handed )

Derived Forms

• ˌred-ˈhandedly, adverb
• ˌred-ˈhandedness, noun

Other Words From

• red-handed·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of red-handed¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of red-handed¹

C19 (earlier, C15 red hand )