red [1]
n
1 any of a group of colours, such as that of a ripe tomato or fresh blood, that lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to orange, and are perceived by the eye when light in the approximate wavelength range 740--620 nanometres falls on the retina. Red is the complementary colour of cyan and forms a set of primary colours with blue and green
Related adjs →
rubicund →
ruddy
2 a pigment or dye of or producing these colours
3 red cloth or clothing
dressed in red
4 a red ball in snooker, billiards, etc.
5 (in roulette and other gambling games) one of two colours on which players may place even bets, the other being black
6 (Also called)
inner (Archery) a red ring on a target, between the blue and the gold, scoring seven points
7 ♦
in the red
Informal in debit; owing money
8 ♦
see red
Informal to become very angry
adj , redder, reddest
10 reddish in colour or having parts or marks that are reddish
red hair, red deer
11 having the face temporarily suffused with blood, being a sign of anger, shame, etc.
12 (of the complexion) rosy; florid
13 (of the eyes) bloodshot
14 (of the hands) stained with blood, as after committing murder
15 bloody or violent
red revolution
16 (of wine) made from black grapes and coloured by their skins
17 denoting the highest degree of urgency in an emergency; used by the police and the army and informally (esp. in the phrase red alert)
vb , reds, redding, redded
18 another word for →
redden
(Old English read; compare Old High German rot, Gothic rauths, Latin ruber, Greek eruthros, Sanskrit rohita)
♦
redly adv
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redness n