Indian red


noun
  1. earth of a yellowish-red color, found especially in the Persian Gulf, that serves as a pigment and as a polish for gold and silver objects.

  2. a pigment of that color prepared by oxidizing the salts of iron.

Origin of Indian red

1
First recorded in 1745–55

Words Nearby Indian red

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Indian red in a sentence

  • String a large Indian-red bead on each end and tie a knot to keep it from falling off.

  • The boy's complexion ran through the palette, and subsided from a dull Indian-red to a sickly Nile-green.

    The Whole Family | William Dean Howells, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Mary Heaton
  • The prevailing color is ruddy Indian-red, relieved by deep blue and black, while brighter tints show here and there.

    Idolatry | Julian Hawthorne
  • Mr Rokens flushed a deep Indian-red, and his nose assumed a warm blue colour instantly.

    The Red Eric | R.M. Ballantyne
  • The dark-skinned captain became Indian-red in the face from suppressed laughter.

    The Battery and the Boiler | R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for Indian red

Indian red

noun
  1. a red pigment containing ferric oxide, used in paints and cosmetics and produced by oxidizing iron salts

  2. a type of red soil containing ferric oxide, found in S Asia and used as a pigment and metal polish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012