Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

red devil

American  
[red dev-uhl] / ˈrɛd ˈdɛv əl /

noun

  1. Also called red devil cichlid.  any of various cichlid fishes, especially Amphilophus labiatus and A. citrinellus, two closely related Central American species common in the aquarium trade and noted for their aggressiveness.

  2. Slang. red.

  3. Also called red evil.  Also called red deathSlang. doxorubicin.


Etymology

Origin of red devil

First recorded in 1950–55 red devil for def. 2 and 2000–05 red devil for def. 1

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.

And Doja red, devil Doja — it’s so funny because of Doja’s “Paint the Town Red” lyrics.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2023

The 33-year-old said she began feeling sick after getting her second round of a chemo drug nicknamed "red devil".

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2023

One avatar is a chocolate princess, born in a cocoa tree; another has red devil horns.

From New York Times • Jan. 29, 2023

It’s a large red ballooning figure that looks like a swaying red devil, and it’s powered by an extremely loud machine which keeps it constantly in motion.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 27, 2022

Instantly the red devil, with sage brush tied round his head raised up about ninety yards from me and again fired.

From Reminiscences of a Pioneer by Thompson, William, Colonel