(~s, ~der, ~dest)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Something that is ~ is the colour of blood or fire.
...a bunch of ~ roses...
COLOUR
2.
If you say that someone’s face is ~, you mean that it is ~der than its normal colour, because they are embarrassed, angry, or out of breath.
With a bright ~ face I was forced to admit that I had no real idea...
ADJ
3.
You describe someone’s hair as ~ when it is between ~ and brown in colour.
...a girl with ~ hair...
ADJ
4.
You can refer to ~ wine as ~.
The spicy flavours in these dishes call for ~s rather than whites.
N-MASS
5.
If you refer to someone as a ~ or a Red, you disapprove of the fact that they are a communist, a socialist or have left-wing ideas. (INFORMAL)
N-COUNT disapproval
6.
If a person or company is in the ~ or if their bank account is in the ~, they have spent more money than they have in their account and therefore they owe money to the bank.
The theatre is ?500,000 in the ~...
PHRASE: v-link PHR
7.
If you see ~, you suddenly become very angry.
I didn’t mean to break his nose. I just saw ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
8.
like a ~ rag to a bull: see rag