red

Pronunciation: /rɛd/

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Definition of red

adjective (redder, reddest)

1of a colour at the end of the spectrum next to orange and opposite violet, as of blood, fire, or rubies:her red lips the sky was turning red outside
(of a person or their face) flushed or rosy, especially with embarrassment, anger, or heat:there were some red faces in headquarters he went bright red
(of a person’s eyes) bloodshot or having pink rims, especially with tiredness or crying:her eyes were red and swollen
(of hair or fur) of a reddish-brown colour: her long, red hair his hair was red
dated, offensive (of a people) having reddish skin.
of or denoting the suits hearts and diamonds in a pack of cards:a red queen
(of wine) made from dark grapes and coloured by their skins: a glass of red wine
denoting a red light or flag used as a signal to stop.
used to denote something forbidden, dangerous, or urgent:the force went on red alert
(of a ski run) of the second-highest level of difficulty, as indicated by coloured markers on the run.
Physics denoting one of three colours of quark.

2 (Red) informal, chiefly derogatory communist or socialist (used especially during the Cold War with reference to the Soviet Union): the era of nuclear anxiety, the red scare and covert CIA plots

3 archaic or literary involving bloodshed or violence:red battle stamps his foot and nations feel the shock

4 (also red-blanket) South African (of a Xhosa) coming from a traditional tribal culture: a red Xhosa wife spends several years in her mother-in-law’s homesteadContrasted with school¹.
[with reference to the blankets traditionally worn by the Xhosa people]

noun

1 [mass noun] red colour or pigment:their work is marked in red by the teacher
red clothes or material:she could not wear red

2a red thing, in particular:
a red wine: good Italian reds at affordable prices [mass noun]:a bottle of red
a red ball in snooker or billiards.
a red light.

3 (also Red) informal, chiefly derogatory a communist or socialist.

4 (the red) the situation of owing money to a bank because one has spent more than is in one’s account:the company was £4 million in the red
[from the conventional use of red ink to indicate debt items]

Phrases

better dead than red (or better red than dead): a Cold War slogan claiming that the prospect of nuclear war was preferable to that of a communist society (or vice versa).
(as) red as a beetroot (North American beet): (of a person) red-faced, typically through embarrassment.
red in tooth and claw: involving savage or merciless conflict or competition:nature, red in tooth and claw
[from Tennyson's In Memoriam]
the red planet: a name for Mars.
a red rag to a bull: an object, utterance, or act which is certain to provoke someone:the refusal to discuss the central issue was like a red rag to a bull
reds under the bed: used during the cold war with reference to the feared presence and influence of communist sympathizers.
see red: informal become very angry suddenly:the mere thought of Piers with Nicole made her see red

Derivatives

reddish
reddy
redly
redness

Origin:

Old English rēad, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch rood and German rot, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin rufus, ruber, Greek eruthros, and Sanskrit rudhira 'red'

red in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of red in the US English dictionary

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Other

red

adjective (redder, reddest)

noun

Phrases

better dead than red (or better red than dead)

(as) red as a beetroot (North American beet)

red in tooth and claw

the red planet

a red rag to a bull

reds under the bed

see red

Derivatives

reddish

reddy

redly

redness

Origin:

red in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for red

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