Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
reddle

reddle

9.9
A red powder used to mark sheep and color cloth
  • noun
  • /ˈrɛdəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : reddle
  • The shepherd marked his sheep with reddle to identify them in the hills.

Examples

  • Farmers often use reddle to mark their sheep.

  • Miners in the region used reddle as a cheap dye for fabrics.

  • A faint streak of reddle was visible on the old stone wall.

  • The reddle is a vital tool in sheep farming.

  • The shepherd marked his sheep with reddle to identify them in the hills.

  • Farmers often use reddle to mark their sheep.

  • Miners in the region used reddle as a cheap dye for fabrics.

Synonyms

ferric oxide
vsreddle
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A red powder that forms on iron, often called rust

is the powdered marking material used mainly for dyeing and marking sheep
raddle
vsreddle
  • Archaic
9.9

A red mineral used to make red dye or paint

is the powdered form used chiefly for marking sheep and dyeing
ruddle
vsreddle
  • Archaic
9.9

A red powder used for dyeing and marking things like sheep

is similar but named as an ore rather than a powder

Surface Forms

reddle singular
reddles plural

Morphology

reddle = red (transparent) = red + dle

The noun denotes a red pigment and is directly identifiable as related to 'red'; the suffix '-dle' forms a substance noun here.

Etymology

Reddle comes from an old English root red meaning 'red', and it once named the red powder miners and shepherds used to mark sheep and dye cloth. So the word's origin explains why reddle is a red marking powder today.