[ və'mɪljən ]
■ noun a brilliant red pigment made from mercury sulphide (cinnabar).
↘a brilliant red colour.
Word History
Vermilion , from Old French vermeillon , derives from Latin vermiculus , meaning 'little worm'. This is a reference to a tiny grub-like Mediterranean insect now called the kermes : when crushed, the kermes yields a bright red dye. Kermes itself is originally an Arabic word, from which the colour terms carmine and crimson are derived.