vermilion

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A vivid red synthetic pigment made of mercury sulfide, cinnabar.
2. (countable, uncountable) A bright orange-red colour.
3. (countable, uncountable) A type of red dye worn in the parting of the hair by married Hindu women.
4. (countable, uncountable) The red skin of the lips or its border with the skin of the face.
5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The kermes or cochineal insect.
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The cochineal dye made from this insect.

Adj

1. Having a brilliant red colour.
2. Having the color of the vermilion dye.

Verb

To color or paint vermilion.

Synonyms

cinnabar

scarlet

vermillion

crimson

bright red

orange red

red

Chinese-red

maroon

incarnadine

carnation

rouge

mercuric sulfide

zinnober

Cinnabaris

vermilion cinnabar

rubefacience

annatto

hunting pink

damask

fuchsia

magenta

ruby

ruddy

red clay

cinnabarite

rubrical

sinoper

sinopia

sinopis

Spanish red

Translations

vermeil

cinabro

bermejo

vermelhão

vermillon

vermiglio

vermiljoen

Zinnober

cinabre

bermellón

Zinnoberrot

vermelho

écarlate

escarlate

Pronounced as (IPA)

/vəˈmɪl.jən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: vermelioun

In summary

From Middle English vermelioun, vermyloun, vermylon, vermilun, from Old French vermeillon (“vermilion”), from vermeil, from Latin vermiculus (“little worm”), from vermis (“worm”), ultimately in reference to Kermes vermilio, a type of scale insect used to make a crimson dye.