red 1
— redly , adv.
/red/ , n. adj., redder, reddest .
n.
1. any of various colors resembling the color of blood; the primary color at one extreme end of the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 610 and 780 nm.
2. something red.
3. ( often cap. ) a radical leftist in politics, esp. a communist.
4. Informal. See red light (def. 1).
5. Informal. red wine: a glass of red.
6. Also called red devil, red bird . Slang. a capsule of the drug secobarbital, usually red in color.
7. in the red , operating at a loss or being in debt (opposed to in the black ): The newspaper strike put many businesses in the red.
8. paint the town red . See paint (def. 16).
9. see red , Informal. to become very angry; become enraged: Snobs make her see red.
adj.
10. of the color red.
11. having distinctive areas or markings of red: a red robin.
12. of or indicating a state of financial loss or indebtedness: the red column in the ledger.
13. radically left politically.
14. ( often cap. ) communist.
15. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of North American Indian peoples: no longer in technical use.
[ bef. 900; ME red, OE read; c. G rot, D rood, ON raudhr, L rufus, ruber, Gk erythrós; see RUBELLA, RUFESCENT, ERYTHRO- ]
red 2
/red/ , v.t., red, redding .
redd 1 .