scarlet

scarlet

scarlet a brilliant red colour. The word comes (in Middle English, originally denoting any brightly coloured cloth) via Old French from medieval Latin scarlata, which in turn comes via Arabic and medieval Greek from late Latin sigillatus ‘decorated with small images’, from sigillum ‘small image’.
scarlet letter a representation of the letter A in scarlet cloth which persons convicted of adultery were condemned to wear, as described in the novel (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne, in which Hester Prynne, convicted of adultery in 17th-century New England, is sentenced to wear the scarlet letter on the breast of her gown for the rest of her life.
Scarlet Pimpernel the name assumed by Sir Percy Blakeney, the hero of a series of novels by Baroness Orczy (1865–1947), a dashing but elusive Englishman, hiding his true nature beneath a lazy and foppish exterior, who rescued potential victims of the French Reign of Terror; the scarlet pimpernel is the emblem which he often leaves behind to infuriate his baffled enemies.
scarlet woman an abusive epithet applied to the Roman Catholic Church, in allusion to Revelation 17:3–4, ‘And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast…And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour.’

See also an ape's an ape, a varlet's a varlet, though they be clad in silk or scarlet.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "scarlet." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "scarlet." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-scarlet.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "scarlet." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-scarlet.html

Learn more about citation styles

scarlet

scar·let / ˈskärlit/ • adj. 1. of a brilliant red color: a mass of scarlet berries. 2. chiefly dated (of an offense or sin) wicked; heinous. ∎  immoral, esp. promiscuous or unchaste. • n. a brilliant red color: papers lettered in scarlet and black. ∎  clothes or material of this color.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"scarlet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"scarlet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-scarlet.html

"scarlet." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-scarlet.html

Learn more about citation styles

scarlet

scarlet The colour used to indicate honour (2 Sam. 1: 24); in mockery, for Jesus at his trial (Matt. 27: 28); or reverence, for the tabernacle furnishings (Num. 4: 8). A scarlet cord outside the house of Rahab in Jericho was a warning to the invaders that it was to be protected (Josh. 2: 18).

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

W. R. F. BROWNING. "scarlet." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

W. R. F. BROWNING. "scarlet." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-scarlet.html

W. R. F. BROWNING. "scarlet." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-scarlet.html

Learn more about citation styles

scarlet

scarlet sb. †rich cloth, of various colours, freq. bright-red XIII; bright vivid red colour XV; adj. XIV. Aphetic — OF. escarlate fem. (mod. écarlate); of unkn. orig.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

T. F. HOAD. "scarlet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "scarlet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-scarlet.html

T. F. HOAD. "scarlet." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-scarlet.html

Learn more about citation styles

scarlet

scarletmallet, palette, pallet, valet •tablet • pamphlet • aglet • anklet •candlelit • hamlet •Caplet, chaplet •lamplit • flatlet • mantlet •haslet, Hazlitt •scarlet, Scarlett, starlet, starlit, varlet •armlet • lancelet • branchlet •martlet, tartlet •plantlet • pellet • reglet • necklet •playlet • lakelet • bracelet •platelet, statelet •wavelet • leaflet • eaglet • streamlet •billet, filet, fillet, millet, skillet, willet •driblet, triblet •piglet • singlet • gimlet • inlet •kinglet, ringlet, springlet, winglet •ripplet, triplet •wristlet •eyelet, islet, stylet, twilit •pikelet •collet, Smollett, wallet •goblet • rodlet •omelette (US omelet) • droplet •torchlit •corselet, corselette •gauntlet (US gantlet) • owlet •townlet • toadlet • notelet • toilet •moonlit • sextuplet • fruitlet •bullet, pullet •booklet, brooklet, hooklet •quadruplet • annulet • septuplet •rivulet • quintuplet •gullet, mullet •doublet • floodlit •runlet, sunlit •couplet • cutlet • frontlet • violet •coverlet • circlet • verselet

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"scarlet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"scarlet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-scarlet.html

"scarlet." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-scarlet.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Scarlets look to new chapter as Gallacher exit is the end of an era.(Sport)
Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 3/13/2009
Scarlets predicted to make pounds 32m contribution to economy; RUGBY AND...
Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 5/25/2012
Scarlets all set for a Bull Ring charge to keep Heineken Cup prospects alive;...
Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 1/22/2011

Facts and information from other sites

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of scarlet