vermilion
1 Americannoun
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a brilliant scarlet red.
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a bright-red, water-insoluble pigment consisting of mercuric sulfide, once obtained from cinnabar, now usually produced by the reaction of mercury and sulfur.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
noun
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a bright red to reddish-orange colour
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( as adjective )
a vermilion car
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mercuric sulphide, esp when used as a bright red pigment; cinnabar
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 The specific pigment know as vermilion was originally made from mercury sulfide, a chemical compound that produces a deep red color.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.
Vocabulary lists containing vermilion
Speak
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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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.
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
Those trees have grown rapidly and now drape the wetland in shade, attracting a variety of birds, such as yellow warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers and vermilion flycatchers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2022
His models wore low buns with center parts streaked with sindoor, a vermilion powder that signifies marriage.
From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2022
She has taken off her make-up and her jewels; the vermilion with which he’d stained her part at the end of the ceremony has been rinsed from her hair.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
