Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "vermilion" []

  • A bright red mercuric sulfide used as a pigment. (noun)
  • A vivid red to reddish orange. Also called Chinese red, cinnabar. (noun)
  • Of a vivid red to reddish orange. (adjective)
  • To color or dye (something) in the hue vermilion. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "vermilion" in a sentence
  • "By other means it can be prepared as a brilliant red powder known as vermilion, which is used as a pigment in fine paints."
  • "She rubs her forehead against the bride's so as to colour it also with vermilion, which is now considered the symbol of a long and happy married life."
  • "Another rite portraying the transfer in India is the marking of the bride's forehead with vermilion, which is no doubt a substitute for blood."