rouge

¹ American  

[roozh] / ruʒ /

noun

1. any of various red cosmetics for coloring the cheeks or lips.

2. a reddish powder, chiefly ferric oxide, used for polishing metal, glass, etc.

3. Canadian football.

---

verb (used with object)

rouged, rouging

1. to color with rouge.

verb (used without object)

rouged, rouging

1. to use rouge.

rouge ² American  

[roozh] / ruʒ /

adjective

French.

1. red; noting the red numbers in roulette.

---

rouge British  

/ ruːʒ /

noun

1. a red powder, used as a cosmetic for adding redness to the cheeks

2. short for jeweller's rouge

---

verb

1. to apply rouge to

Other Word Forms

• unrouged adjective

Etymology

Origin of rouge

1475–85; < French: red < Latin rubeus; akin to red ¹

Example Sentences

“You certainly don’t need any rouge today, my dear,” he said.

From Literature

Don’t let the rouged cheeks and Shirley Temple curls fool you.

From Los Angeles Times

Her ensemble is accented with abundant gold jewelry and a variety of red splashes in wrist- and hair-bows, brightly rouged cheeks and a feathered headdress.

From Los Angeles Times

I scooped up a pét-nat rouge, a rosé and a red blend on my way out of town at Yakima’s Apple Valley Emporium, a combination skateboard and bottle shop.

From Seattle Times

They gather flowers and spread them at the door; Butterfly rouges her cheeks and puts on the wedding garments she wore the night she and the lieutenant fell in love.

From New York Times