scarlet

English

Etymology

From Middle English scarlet, scarlat, borrowed from Old French escarlate (“a type of cloth”), from Medieval Latin scarlatum (“scarlet cloth”), of uncertain origin. This was long thought to derive from Classical Persian سقرلات (saqirlāt, “a warm woollen cloth”), but the Persian word (first attested in the 1290s) is now thought to be from Arabic سِقِلَّات (siqillāt), denoting very expensive, luxury silks dyed scarlet-red using the exceptionally expensive dye, first attested around the ninth century. The most obvious route for the Arabic word siqillāt to have entered the Romance languages would be via the Arabic-speaking Iberian region of al-Andalus, particularly Almería, where kermes was produced extensively; compare especially the dialectal form سِقِرْلَاط (siqirlāṭ). The word then came to be used of woollen cloth dyed with the same dye. The Arabic word may itself be derived from Byzantine Greek σιγιλλᾶτον (sigillâton), from Latin sigillātum (“a type of fabric”, literally “sealed; sealing”) (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈskɑɹlɪt/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈskɑːlɪt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈskɐːlət/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)lɪt
• Hyphenation: scar‧let

Noun

scarlet (countable and uncountable, plural scarlets)

1. A brilliant red colour tinged with orange.

   scarlet:  

2. Cloth of a scarlet color.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Proverbs 31:21:

     All her household are clothed with scarlet.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

scarlet (comparative more scarlet, superlative most scarlet)

1. Of a bright red colour.
   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 168:

     Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.

2. Sinful or whorish.

   a scarlet woman

3. (Ireland) Blushing; embarrassed or mortified.
   • 26 October 2021, Aisling Marron, I brought the baby to her first vaccinations. Her look said: why have you betrayed me?, The Irish Times:

     He signed off our correspondence, “Well thank God for facemasks, cos I’m scarlet”.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• (reds) red; blood red, brick red, burgundy, cardinal, carmine, carnation, cerise, cherry, cherry red, Chinese red, cinnabar, claret, crimson, damask, fire brick, fire engine red, flame, flamingo, fuchsia, garnet, geranium, gules, hot pink, incarnadine, Indian red, magenta, maroon, misty rose, nacarat, oxblood, pillar-box red, pink, Pompeian red, poppy, raspberry, red violet, rose, rouge, ruby, ruddy, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, shocking pink, stammel, strawberry, Turkey red, Venetian red, vermilion, vinaceous, vinous, violet red, wine ^{(Category: en:Reds)}

Further reading

• Scarlet (color) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

scarlet (third-person singular simple present scarlets, present participle scarleting, simple past and past participle scarleted)

1. (transitive) To dye or tinge (something) with scarlet.
   • 1633, Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], Loues Sacrifice. A Tragedie , London: I B for Hugh Beeston, , →OCLC, Act IV:

     Forbeare; the aſhy paleneſſe of my cheeke / Is ſcarletted in ruddy flakes of vvrath: […]

Derived terms

References

Anagrams

• Clarets, arclets, cartels, castler, castrel, clarets, crestal, lacerts, rectals