Vermillion

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A striking red-orange pigment historically utilized in art and decoration
2. A vibrant shade of red with a rich history in artistic expressions and cultural artifacts
3. A vivid red-orange hue often used as a pigment in artistic works and decorations

Etymology: Vermilion takes its colour from an insect, not a mineral. The Latin "vermiculus" meant "little worm," a diminutive of "vermis," and it was applied to the kermes scale insect, which lives on certain oaks and was crushed to make a crimson dye. Over the centuries the name passed into Vulgar Latin, then Old French as "vermeil" and "vermeillon," meaning a bright red, before reaching Middle English as "vermelioun." The word is a useful reminder that a colour name can outlast its source. The dye came from a tiny creature, yet the name stayed attached to the hue even when the pigment was made from other materials, including the mercury sulphide that later became the standard bright red. English speakers displaced the older Old English word "bōcrēad" with this borrowing, so the insect's name ended up replacing the native term for the colour.

Synonyms: red, scarlet

Antonyms: blue, green