Rouged

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɹuːʒd/

Definitions

1. To apply a red cosmetic to enhance the appearance of the cheeks while also suggesting any act of reddening a surface, especially skin, through pigment use is how this term is defined
2. To beautify the face by coloring the cheeks red and, in broader terms, to denote the action of adding a red hue to any surface, typically skin, for decorative functions
3. To place red makeup on the cheeks to give a flushed look ; to add a red tint to any surface, especially skin, for color enhancement

Etymology: "Rouged" is the past form of "rouge," which English borrowed from French, where "rouge" means "red." The French word traces back to Latin "rubeus," meaning red, and English seems to have taken it up twice: a much older, rare Middle English "rouge" (or "rouȝ") meant red too, but the modern cosmetic sense is not recorded until around 1750. The result is a word that moved from colour to face paint. Applying "rouge" to the cheeks is the sense most readers know, and the same verb extends to any reddening of a surface through pigment, especially skin. The Latin root "rubeus" also gave English words like "ruby" and "rubric," so the red of this family runs through gems and the red-inked instructions in old books.

Synonyms: blushed, reddened