red

Searchable Lemmata: read (OE), red (ME), rede (OScots), red (MdE).

Alternate Forms: keyade, rad, radde, rade, raden, ræd, ræde, ræden, raf, rak, rat, reað, readan, reade, readen, reades, readum, reð, redde, rede, reden, redene, reed, reid, reide, reod, ret, rid, ride, rod, rodde, rode, roed, rudu, sed.

1a1(n.) Dye; red (colour term. noun or adj.); the colour red; applied to various shades of purple, crimson, scarlet, pink, etc.; dyed red; also, with various representations (birds, flowers, etc.), coloured or embroidered in red; in heraldry, the tincture gules. Used as an adjective or as the noun: dyed red, coloured red; red pigment or dye, redness; etc. Like other colour terms, 'red' and variants appear in various compounds and phrases, including: wolen-readan (scarlet, purple); scarlet reed; purpre rede, red purpyl, pu[r]pel red (crimson); broun reed (dark or brown-red?); somdel reede, sumqwath reed ('somewhat' red - L subrubea); rede sanguine, rede sangwyne (blood-red); blode-rede; rede gowlez. Also used in participle compounds and stock phrases. Coumpounds/phrases in particular clothing contexts include: rede kolour (MED Reinbrun [c.1330], 'red colour', the red colour of the ground of a coat of arms); made reede (MED Trev.Higd. [a1382], 'made red', used to describe skins which have been coloured red); flawm reed or fier reed (MED WBible(1) [a1382], 'flame red' or ''fire red', deep red or scarlet); etc. Given the number of different objects described as red, as with other colours, it is difficult to determine the actual shade being discussed at any one time. However, the term itself is very often qualified with reference to a natural phenomenon, or is linked to specific materials, such as the reddish-purple dye from the whelk or from gold. As far as the dark purple dye of the whelk, the term is often found in conjunction with OE godweb, a purple garment often found associated with saints and other holy figures. It is the colour of the garment (Latin purpura) that is given to Christ during the crucifixion. The term also appears in surnames and placenames.(ante 1000 still in current use) 1a2(n.) Textile; by extension: red or reddish cloth; reddish garments; red armour or trappings.(ante 1200 still in current use) 1a3(adj.) Other; red-clothed; wearing red; in red clothing or trappings. Also appears in the expression, 'Be hyt clothed red or blak' ('whatever it [the world] is wearing'; in Chaucer's House of Fame, The Riverside Chaucer, ed. Benson, 3rd. ed. [1987], 1078).(ante 1325 still in current use) 1b(adj.) Other; stained (red) with blood.(ante 1325 still in current use) 1c(adj.) Raw Material; applied to the metal gold (coins, gold leaf, etc., including cloth-of-gold), meaning pure; purle or reddish gold; of the colour of pure or reddish gold; tincture of the colour of pure or reddish gold (att. in MED from c1390). Also, as a substantive: pure-gold or reddish-gold tincture; cloth/cloth-of-gold of the colour of pure or reddish gold (att. in MED from c1387). Also applied to copper; rusted metal (att. in MED from a1375; not attested here).(circa 1000 - circa 1400)