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. Older Slang: Usually Disparaging.,  Often Red a radical leftist in politics, especially a Communist.

4. Informal.,  red light.

5. Informal.,  red wine.

   a glass of red.

6. Also called red devil. Also called red bird,. Also called red doll. 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

redder, reddest 

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.

   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, redding 

1. redd.

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

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 called: inner. archery a red ring on a target, between the blue and the gold, scoring seven points

7. informal,  in debit; owing money

8. informal,  to become very angry

adjective

1. of the colour red

2. reddish in colour or having parts or marks that are reddish

   red hair

   red deer

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 /

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

red

³

/ rɛd /

verb

1. (tr) a variant spelling of redd 1

Other Word Forms

• redly adverb
• redness noun

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. see red, to become very angry; become enraged.

   Snobs make her see red.

2. paint the town red. paint.

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

   The newspaper strike put many businesses in the red.

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

Los Angeles firefighters were hampered by a lack of resources for red flag weather conditions in their initial response to the Palisades fire, an internal after-action review report found.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She says her firm was "tens of millions in the red".

Read more on BBC

In 2023, Gabriel authored the California Food Safety Act, which prohibits several food additives — including red dye No. 3 — that are commonly found in soda, candy and cereal.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With his shoulders wrapped in the red, white and blue of the union flag, he spoke of the saltire.

Read more on BBC

Already, deep red Southern states like Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina are seen as particularly vulnerable.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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