Red (noun, adjective, idiom)
red [red]
noun
1. any of various colors resembling the color of blood; the primary color at one extreme end of the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 610 and 780 nm.
2. something red.
3. (often initial capital letter) a radical leftist in politics, especially a communist.
4. Informal. red light ( def 1) .
5. Informal. red wine: a glass of red.
6. Also called red devil, red bird. Slang. a capsule of the drug secobarbital, usually red in color.
adjective
7. of the color red.
8. having distinctive areas or markings of red: a red robin.
9. of or indicating a state of financial loss or indebtedness: the red column in the ledger.
10. radically left politically.
11. (often initial capital letter) communist.
12. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of North American Indian peoples: no longer in technical use.
Idioms
13. in the red, operating at a loss or being in debt (opposed to in the black): The newspaper strike put many businesses in the red.
14. paint the town red. paint ( def 16 ) .
15. see red, Informal. to become very angry; become enraged: Snobs make her see red.
Related forms
red·ly , adverb
Related Words for red
rose, flaming, maroon, glowing, cardinal, crimson, coral, wine, pink, cherry, sanguine, carmine, brick, blooming, blush, rust, copper, russet, puce, bittersweet
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Origin: before 900; Middle English red, Old English read; cognate with German rot, Dutch rood, Old Norse raudhr, Latin rufus, ruber, Greek erythrós; see rubella, rufescent, erythro-
Examples from the Web for red
Contemporary Examples of red
Former Red Sox star Curt Schilling says his politics are keeping him out of Cooperstown.
The Daily Beast logo
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame
Ben Jacobs
January 9, 2015
His books include Render unto Rome and a novel about Louisiana politics, Last of the Red Hot Poppas.
The Daily Beast logo
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise
Jason Berry
January 3, 2015
In 1957, the islands came under repeated shelling by Mainland--or as it was then called, “ Red ”-- China.
The Daily Beast logo
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz
Jeff Greenfield
December 31, 2014
It all began, the consensus seems to be, with the red jungle fowl.
The Daily Beast logo
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity
William O’Connor
December 27, 2014
In their midst stands a soldier with the Lebanese armed forces in a red beret, sporting an assault rifle and an unblinking stare.
The Daily Beast logo
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda
Ruth Michaelson
December 26, 2014
Historical Examples of red
Yes, the bathing-suit does have little touches of red , and red —but this will never do.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
The ball of red fire in the west was half below the rim of the distant peak.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
On our way Tommy Windich shot a red kangaroo, which we carried to camp.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
But Andrew, with the chestnut running like a red flash beneath him, had vanished.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
"I'll forget my right hand sooner," said the big, red man calmly.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
