red currant
1
3.9
- noun
- /rɛd ˈkɜrənt/
- The dress was a stunning red currant color.
Examples
-
She bought a red currant lipstick to match her autumn coat and nail polish.
-
The designer recommended red currant curtains to warm the otherwise neutral living room.
-
The interior palette featured a bold red currant shade on the feature wall.
-
She painted her nails a bright red currant shade.
-
The interior palette featured a bold red currant shade on the feature wall.
-
She bought a red currant lipstick to match her autumn coat and nail polish.
-
The designer recommended red currant curtains to warm the otherwise neutral living room.
Synonyms
10
1.0
A deep red color that is not bright
3
1.6
A bright, deep red like ripe cherries
1
7.4
A dark purple-red colour like red wine
1
1.0
A deep bright red color like ripe cherries
1
4.2
A deep wine-red color often used for clothes and rooms
1
3.4
A deep red color like fresh raspberries
1
7.7
A deep warm red with a slight brown tone
How Red
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: it refers to the red color of the currant fruit, so combining 'red' (a color) with 'currant' (a small red berry) yields a predictable shade name. Naming colors after objects or foods (e.g., lemon yellow, olive green, cherry red) is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will very likely infer this meaning.
Etymology
Red currant as a color name comes from the berry's bright red shade. Designers and makeup makers borrowed that berry color, so today red currant means 'a deep, berry-like shade of red'.