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• vermilion
  vermilion

  noun

  a brilliant scarlet red.
• Vermilion
  Vermilion

  noun

  a town in N Ohio.

vermilion

¹ American  

[ver-mil-yuhn] / vərˈmɪl jən /

Or vermillion

noun

1. a brilliant scarlet red.

2. a bright-red, water-insoluble pigment consisting of mercuric sulfide, once obtained from cinnabar, now usually produced by the reaction of mercury and sulfur.

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adjective

1. of the color vermilion.

verb (used with object)

1. to color with or as if with vermilion.

Vermilion ² American  

[ver-mil-yuhn] / vərˈmɪl jən /

noun

1. a town in N Ohio.

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vermilion British  

/ vəˈmɪljən /

noun

1. 1. a bright red to reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a vermilion car

2. mercuric sulphide, esp when used as a bright red pigment; cinnabar

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Etymology

Origin of vermilion

1250–1300; Middle English vermilioun, vermillon < Anglo-French, Old French verm ( e ) illon, equivalent to vermeil vermeil + -on noun suffix

Explanation

Vermilion is a deep, brilliant shade of red. You could describe your grandfather's reddish-orange scarf as vermilion. The specific pigment know as vermilion was originally made from mercury sulfide, a chemical compound that produces a deep red color. This kind of vermilion was most famously used in enameled Chinese lacquerware. However, you can use the word vermilion to describe anything that's a particularly deep, rich shade of red. The root word is the French vermeil, "bright red," from the Latin vermiculus, "a little worm," or the insect that was historically used to make red dyes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vermilion Vermilion

Clark off North Carolina, with vermilion snapper schooling nearby.

From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2023

One standout piece was a top creatively constructed from a myriad of vermilion flowers, a nod to the dynamic African wrap, contrasted with striking blue pants.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 6, 2023

In between the leading-like roots, the garden’s designers planted wedges of bromeliads in vermilion, bright red, yellow and orange.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2023

Clockwise from top left are brown, cinnabar, sepia, vermilion, white, and red.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

My inkpot shatters on the rocks, turning the river vermilion.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Among the top gainers in the session are Vermilion Energy, Athabasca Oil, Cenovus and Suncor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The Sheriff’s Office announced that the missing hiker was “miraculously found alive” on May 14 at Vermilion Valley Resort, which is more than 20 miles from where she was last seen.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2025

But even in that solidly conservative district, the board eventually rejected Vermilion by a 3-2 vote.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2023

Many of these were condors that had roosted in Arizona’s Vermilion Cliffs, the same place where captive-bred birds were first released in 1996.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 29, 2023

His family, the LaBranches, lived in Gueydan, a town in Vermilion Parish in Louisiana.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

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