Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
red onion

red onion

10 1.0
An onion with red skin and a mild sweet taste used raw in salads
  • noun
  • /rɛd ˈʌnjən/
translation icon : cebolla morada
  • I topped my pizza with sauce, red onion, green pepper, broccoli, and mozzarella cheese.
  • sliced red onion
  • thinly sliced red onion
  • finely chopped red onion

I've got some red onions, garlic, red Peppers.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • We did a smoked brisket Taco with some pickled red onions and cilantro and cotilla cheese.

  • In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, sugar, red onion, vinegar, and salt, and toss with broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes.

    Blog text (28)

  • I prefer red onions in all things.

    Blog text (2)

  • Three red onions, as requested.

    My Other Mother (2014)

  • If you have time, you can chop half a red onion and put that in there too.

    Blog text (15)

  • Are those red onions diced nicely?

    North of the 10 (2022)

  • I'm going to start cutting up some cucumbers and red onions for my salad.

  • Combine the broccoli, red onion, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and golden raisins into a large bowl.

    Blog text (20)

  • I'm going to start cutting up some cucumbers and red onion for my salad.

  • For the first course, he bought arugula, peaches, a red onion, a lemon, and Gorgonzola cheese.

Synonyms

purple onion
vsred onion
2.0

A round vegetable with purple skin and a mild, slightly sweet taste often eaten raw in salads or on burgers

emphasizes a slightly sweet taste and raw salad use
red-skinned onion
vsred onion
2.4

A vegetable with red outer skin that people eat raw or cooked

is milder and mainly used raw as salad garnish rather than cooked

How Pungent

onion
393 1.0
red onion
10 1.0
pearl onion
1 3.2
scallion
  • US
18 2.3

Surface Forms

red onion singular
red onions plural

Morphology

red + onion

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'red' (a color) + 'onion' (a vegetable); an adjective-noun combination indicating an onion that is red in color. This is a common, cross-linguistic descriptive pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the referent even if they don't know the specific variety or subtle taste differences.

Etymology

Red onion is a simple name for an onion with bright purple-red skin that people could see easily. That's why the words red and onion describe the type of onion often sliced raw for salads and sandwiches.