1 [red]
something red.
(often initial capital letter) a radical leftist in politics, especially a communist.
Informal. red light ( def 1 ).
Informal. red wine: a glass of red.
Also called red devil, red bird. Slang. a capsule of the drug secobarbital, usually red in color.
adjective, redder, reddest.
of the color red.
having distinctive areas or markings of red: a red robin.
radically left politically.
(often initial capital letter) communist.
paint the town red. paint ( def 16 ).
see red, Informal. to become very angry; become enraged: Snobs make her see red.

before 900; Middle English red, Old English rēad; cognate with German rot, Dutch rood, Old Norse raudhr, Latin rūfus, ruber, Greek erythrós; see rubella, rufescent, erythro-

redly, adverb Unabridged


2 [red]
verb (used with object), red, redding.


a male or female given name.


variant of re- before a vowel or h in some words: redintegrate.


a native English suffix, denoting condition, formerly used in the formation of nouns: hatred; kindred.

Middle English -rede, Old English -rǣden


Informal. are : Oysters R in season.


[ou-er-bahk, our-; for 2 also German ou-uhr-bahkh]
Arnold ("Red") 1917–2006, U.S. basketball coach and manager.
Berthold [ber-tohlt] , 1812–82, German novelist.




[skel-tn] ,
John, c1460–1529, English poet.
Richard Bernard ("Red") 1913–97, U.S. actor and comedian. Unabridged
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World English Dictionary
Auerbach (ˈaʊəˌbɑːk)
Frank (Helmuth). born 1931, British painter, born in Germany, noted esp for his use of impasto

grange (ɡreɪndʒ)
3.  archaic a granary or barn

Grange (ɡreɪndʒ)
2.  a lodge of this association

r or R (ɑː)
n , pl r's, R's, Rs
1.  the 18th letter and 14th consonant of the modern English alphabet
2.  a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually an alveolar semivowel, as in red
3.  See three Rs
R or R

symbol for
1.  chem radical
2.  currency
 a.  rand
 b.  rupee
3.  Réaumur temperature (scale)
4.  physics, electronics resistance
5.  roentgen or röntgen
6.  chess rook
7.  Royal
8.  chem gas constant
9.  in the US and Australia
 a.  restricted exhibition (used to describe a category of film certified as unsuitable for viewing by anyone under the age of 18)
 b.  (as modifier): an R film

red1 (rɛd)
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 greenRelated: 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
6.  archery Also called: inner a red ring on a target, between the blue and the gold, scoring seven points
7.  informal in the red in debit; owing money
8.  informal see red to become very angry
adj , redder, reddest
9.  of the colour red
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)
18.  (US) Compare blue relating to, supporting, or representing the Republican Party
vb , redder, reddest, reds, redding, redded
19.  another word for redden
Related: rubicund, ruddy
[Old English rēad; compare Old High German rōt, Gothic rauths, Latin ruber, Greek eruthros, Sanskrit rohita]

red2 (rɛd)
vb , reds, redding, red, redded
(tr) a variant spelling of redd

Red (rɛd)
1.  Communist, Socialist, or Soviet
2.  radical, leftist, or revolutionary
3.  a member or supporter of a Communist or Socialist Party or a national of a state having such a government, esp the former Soviet Union
4.  a radical, leftist, or revolutionary
[C19: from the colour chosen to symbolize revolutionary socialism]

redd or red1 (rɛd)
vb (often foll by up) , redds, redding, redd, redded
1.  to bring order to; tidy (up)
2.  the act or an instance of redding
[C15 redden to clear, perhaps a variant of rid]
red or red1
[C15 redden to clear, perhaps a variant of rid]
'redder or red1

Skelton (ˈskɛltən)
John. ?1460--1529, English poet celebrated for his short rhyming lines using the rhythms of colloquial speech

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Word Origin & History

In a circle, meaning "registered (trademark)," first incorporated in U.S. statues 1946. Three Rs (1825) said to have been given as a toast by Sir W. Curtis (1752-1829). R&R "rest and relaxation," first recorded 1953, Amer.Eng.; R&B "rhythm and blues" (type of popular music) first attested 1949, Amer.Eng.

O.E. read, from P.Gmc. *rauthaz (cf. O.N. rauðr, Dan. rød, O.Fris. rad, M.Du. root, Ger. rot, Goth. rauþs), from PIE base *reudh- (cf. L. ruber, also dial. rufus "light red," mostly of hair; Gk. erythros; Skt. rudhira-; Avestan raoidita-; O.C.S. rudru, Pol. rumiany, Rus. rumjanyj "flushed,
red," of complexions, etc.; Lith. raudas; O.Ir. ruad, Welsh rhudd, Bret. ruz "red"). The only color for which a definite common PIE root word has been found. The surname Read/Reid retains the original O.E. long vowel pronunciation. The color as characteristic of "British possessions" on a map, is attested from 1916. The red flag was used as a symbol of defiance in battle on land or sea from 1602. To see red "get angry" is an Amer.Eng. expression first recorded 1900. Red light as a sign to stop is from 1849, long before traffic signals. As the sign of a brothel, it is attested from 1900. As a children's game (in ref. to the traffic light meaning) it is recorded from 1953. Red-letter day (c.1385) was originally a saint's day, marked on church calendars in red letters. Red ball signifying "express" in railroad jargon is 1927, from the red ball mounted on a pole as a controlling signal. Red-blooded "vigorous, spirited" is recorded from 1877. Red dog, type of U.S. football pass rush, is recorded from 1959. Red shift in spectography is first recorded 1923. Red carpet "sumptuous welcome" is from 1934, but the custom for dignitaries is described as far back as Aeschylus (e.g. "Agamemnon").

"Bolshevik," 1917, from red (1), the color they adopted for themselves. Association in Europe of red with revolutionary politics (on notion of blood and violence) is from at least 1297, but got a boost 1793 with adoption of the red Phrygian cap (Fr. bonnet rouge) as symbol of
the Fr. Revolution. First specific political reference in Eng. was 1848 (adj.), in news reports of the Second French Republic (a.k.a. Red Republic). The noun meaning "radical, communist" is from 1851.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

r abbr.

R abbr.

  1. radical (usually an alkyl or aryl group)

  2. respiration

  3. respiratory exchange ratio

  4. or r roentgen

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
Abbreviation of radius
The symbol for resistance.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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Computing Dictionary

Red definition

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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
  1. correlation coefficient

  2. radius

  3. resistance

  1. gas constant

  2. radical

  3. rain

  4. range

  5. RÃ©aumur

  6. receiver

  7. registered trademark

  8. Republican

  9. response

  10. restricted (children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian)

  11. right

  12. roentgen

  13. rook

  14. run

The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases


In addition to the idioms beginning with red, also see catch red-handed; in the red; not worth a dime (red cent); paint the town red; see red.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
Using garbage bags and sunlight, researchers figured out the genetics of apples' red color.
Print detailed illustrations of red kangaroos and other animals to color or use in school projects.
Red-green color-blind people may miss out on the subtle tones of a forest or a bouquet of roses, but they do get compensation.
Images for red
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