from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Red \Red\, a. [Compar. {Redder} (-d?r); superl. {Reddest}.] [OE.
red, reed, AS. re['a]d, re['o]d; akin to OS. r[=o]d, OFries.
r[=a]d, D. rood, G. roht, rot, OHG. r[=o]t, Dan. & Sw.
r["o]d, Icel. rau[eth]r, rj[=o][eth]r, Goth. r['a]uds, W.
rhudd, Armor. ruz, Ir. & Gael. ruadh, L. ruber, rufus, Gr.
'eryqro`s, Skr. rudhira, rohita; cf. L. rutilus. [root]113.
Cf. {Erysipelas}, {Rouge}, {Rubric}, {Ruby}, {Ruddy},
{Russet}, {Rust}.]
Of the color of blood, or of a tint resembling that color; of
the hue of that part of the rainbow, or of the solar
spectrum, which is furthest from the violet part. "Fresh
flowers, white and reede." --Chaucer.
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Your color, I warrant you, is as red as any rose.
--Shak.
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Note: Red is a general term, including many different shades
or hues, as scarlet, crimson, vermilion, orange red,
and the like.
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Note: Red is often used in the formation of self-explaining
compounds; as, red-breasted, red-cheeked, red-faced,
red-haired, red-headed, red-skinned, red-tailed,
red-topped, red-whiskered, red-coasted.
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{Red admiral} (Zool.), a beautiful butterfly ({Vanessa
Atalanta}) common in both Europe and America. The front
wings are crossed by a broad orange red band. The larva
feeds on nettles. Called also {Atalanta butterfly}, and
{nettle butterfly}.
{Red ant}. (Zool.)
(a) A very small ant ({Myrmica molesta}) which often infests
houses.
(b) A larger reddish ant ({Formica sanguinea}), native of
Europe and America. It is one of the slave-making
species.
{Red antimony} (Min.), kermesite. See {Kermes mineral}
(b), under {Kermes}.
{Red ash} (Bot.), an American tree ({Fraxinus pubescens}),
smaller than the white ash, and less valuable for timber.
--Cray.
{Red bass}. (Zool.) See {Redfish}
(d) .
{Red bay} (Bot.), a tree ({Persea Caroliniensis}) having the
heartwood red, found in swamps in the Southern United
States.
{Red beard} (Zool.), a bright red sponge ({Microciona
prolifera}), common on oyster shells and stones. [Local,
U.S.]
{Red birch} (Bot.), a species of birch ({Betula nigra})
having reddish brown bark, and compact, light-colored
wood. --Gray.
{Red blindness}. (Med.) See {Daltonism}.
{Red book}, a book containing the names of all the persons in
the service of the state. [Eng.]
{Red book of the Exchequer}, an ancient record in which are
registered the names of all that held lands per baroniam
in the time of Henry II. --Brande & C.
{Red brass}, an alloy containing eight parts of copper and
three of zinc.
{Red bug}. (Zool.)
(a) A very small mite which in Florida attacks man, and
produces great irritation by its bites.
(b) A red hemipterous insect of the genus {Pyrrhocoris},
especially the European species ({Pyrrhocoris apterus}),
which is bright scarlet and lives in clusters on tree
trunks.
(c) See {Cotton stainder}, under {Cotton}.
{Red cedar}. (Bot.) An evergreen North American tree
({Juniperus Virginiana}) having a fragrant red-colored
heartwood.
(b) A tree of India and Australia ({Cedrela Toona}) having
fragrant reddish wood; -- called also {toon tree} in
India.
{Red horse}. (Zool.)
(a) Any large American red fresh-water sucker, especially
{Moxostoma macrolepidotum} and allied species.
(b) See the Note under {Drumfish}.
{Red lead}.
(Chem) See under {Lead}, and {Minium}.
{Red-lead ore}. (Min.) Same as {Crocoite}.
{Red liquor} (Dyeing), a solution consisting essentially of
aluminium acetate, used as a mordant in the fixation of
dyestuffs on vegetable fiber; -- so called because used
originally for red dyestuffs. Called also {red mordant}.
{Red maggot} (Zool.), the larva of the wheat midge.
{Red manganese}. (Min.) Same as {Rhodochrosite}.
{Red man}, one of the American Indians; -- so called from his
color.
{Red maple} (Bot.), a species of maple ({Acer rubrum}). See
{Maple}.
{Red mite}. (Zool.) See {Red spider}, below.
{Red mulberry} (Bot.), an American mulberry of a dark purple
color ({Morus rubra}).
{Red mullet} (Zool.), the surmullet. See {Mullet}.
{Red ocher} (Min.), a soft earthy variety of hematite, of a
reddish color.
{Red perch} (Zool.), the rosefish.
{Red phosphorus}. (Chem.) See under {Phosphorus}.
{Red pine} (Bot.), an American species of pine ({Pinus
resinosa}); -- so named from its reddish bark.
{Red precipitate}. See under {Precipitate}.
{Red Republican} (European Politics), originally, one who
maintained extreme republican doctrines in France, --
because a red liberty cap was the badge of the party; an
extreme radical in social reform. [Cant]
{Red ribbon}, the ribbon of the Order of the Bath in England.
{Red sanders}. (Bot.) See {Sanders}.
{Red sandstone}. (Geol.) See under {Sandstone}.
{Red scale} (Zool.), a scale insect ({Aspidiotus aurantii})
very injurious to the orange tree in California and
Australia.
{Red silver} (Min.), an ore of silver, of a ruby-red or
reddish black color. It includes {proustite}, or light red
silver, and {pyrargyrite}, or dark red silver.
{Red snapper} (Zool.), a large fish ({Lutjanus aya} syn.
{Lutjanus Blackfordii}) abundant in the Gulf of Mexico and
about the Florida reefs.
{Red snow}, snow colored by a mocroscopic unicellular alga
({Protococcus nivalis}) which produces large patches of
scarlet on the snows of arctic or mountainous regions.
{Red softening} (Med.) a form of cerebral softening in which
the affected parts are red, -- a condition due either to
infarction or inflammation.
{Red spider} (Zool.), a very small web-spinning mite
({Tetranychus telarius}) which infests, and often
destroys, plants of various kinds, especially those
cultivated in houses and conservatories. It feeds mostly
on the under side of the leaves, and causes them to turn
yellow and die. The adult insects are usually pale red.
Called also {red mite}.
{Red squirrel} (Zool.), the chickaree.
{Red tape},
(a) the tape used in public offices for tying up documents,
etc. Hence,
(b) official formality and delay; excessive bureaucratic
paperwork.
{Red underwing} (Zool.), any species of noctuid moths
belonging to {Catacola} and allied genera. The numerous
species are mostly large and handsomely colored. The under
wings are commonly banded with bright red or orange.
{Red water}, a disease in cattle, so called from an
appearance like blood in the urine.
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