Turkey red

American  

noun

1. a bright red produced in fabrics by madder, alizarin, or synthetic dyes.

2. cotton cloth of this color.

3. Adrianople red.

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Turkey red British  

noun

1. 1. a moderate or bright red colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a Turkey-red fabric

2. a cotton fabric of a bright red colour

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Etymology

Origin of Turkey red

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

They dress up in expensive, full-skirted costumes, often rich purple or Turkey red; at fiestas they wear necklaces made from old U.S. five-to 50-dollar gold pieces.

From Time Magazine Archive

Hundreds of pieces after the rinsing are laid closely together to dry, indigo and turquoise blue, brown and purple madder, Turkey red and saffron predominating, a vile aniline colour showing itself here and there.

From Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)

Alizarine Pink.—This can be dyed in the same way as Turkey red, only using for full pinks 4 per cent, of alizarine in the dye-bath, or for pale pinks 1 to 2 per cent.

From The Dyeing of Cotton Fabrics A Practical Handbook for the Dyer and Student by Beech, Franklin

Turkey red especially is safe to last, even when applied to cotton.

From How to make rugs by Wheeler, Candace

A bit o’ Turkey red wouldn’t come amiss, I dessay.

From In the Brooding Wild by Cullum, Ridgwell