red shirt
1
8.0
- noun
:
camiseta roja
- He was known as a red shirt because of his active participation in leftist protests.
Examples
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Many red shirts gathered for the protest last weekend.
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The crowd at the rally was filled with red shirts, symbolizing their support for the socialist movement.
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After joining the protest, she wore a red shirt to stand in solidarity with other socialist supporters.
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In the early 20th century, being called a red shirt could endanger your job or reputation.
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Some historical movements are remembered for their distinctive red shirts and leftist slogans.
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The red shirt symbolizes solidarity among workers.
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During the demonstration, many wore red shirts to signify their allegiance to socialist ideals.
Synonyms
13
9.1
A person who supports extreme left politics
1
9.9
A volunteer fighter who wore a red shirt with Garibaldi in 1800s Italy
A person who supports extreme left-wing political change
Surface Forms
Morphology
While 'red' + 'shirt' easily yields the literal image of a red-colored shirt or someone wearing one, the MWE refers to a specific Thai political movement (supporters identified by wearing red shirts). That political, culture-specific meaning is not predictable from the constituents alone, so a B1 learner who knows the words but hasn't seen the term would not reliably infer this sense.
Etymology
The term red shirt comes from a simple picture: people literally wore a red shirt as a visible sign of leftist or socialist politics, because red has long been a color for workers and revolution. That's why a 'red shirt' means a supporter of socialist or leftist ideas.