English → Latin
“red” in Latin
rūfusred (in the most general sense, of all shades including orange and yellow); red-haired, including shades of hair consideruberred approximately like red ochre (which had a traditional status among the Romans); red that was both common and dignifirussusred (a kind of cheap, coarse red, perhaps such as could be produced with madder; whole circus awnings could be dyed to trutiluslight(-haired), blond, red; yellow, red, light-colored, bright (somewhat like a strong grade of rūfus)rubicundusred, ruddy, rubicundrubidusred in color, appearing redpurpureuspurple, including reddish, violet, and brownish; clothed in purple; brilliant, shining, beautifulbadiusreddish brown, chestnut colored, baycoccinusscarlet, scarlet-dyedmĭnĭācĕusof cinnabar
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
red adj.
rufus (general term): ruber (like blood): russus (Lucr., 4, 73): rutilus (fiery red): rubicundus (a deep red, like glowing coals): rubidus (a dull red, brick color): purpureus (a purplish red): badius (brown red): coccinus (scarlet): melochlnus (crimson): miniaceus (vermilion): roseus (rose-color): somewhat red, subruber. subrussus: subrubicundus: rubicundulus: rufulus (Plin.: russeus, Petronius): Red as fire, igneo colore; igneus; flammeus, flammeolus: red in the face, rubicundus; rubicundo ore; rubida facie: red with blushes, pudore or rubore suffusus: red hair, capillus rufus or rutilus; comae rufae or rutilae (☞ capillus rufus was considered unsightly; rutilus beautiful): having red hair, rufus; capillo, or capite, rutilo: the Red Sea, mare rubrum: to dye red, rutilum reddere: red ochre, rubrica (μιλτος, sc. terra, any red earth).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for red?
- The usual Latin words for “red” are rūfus, ruber, russus; also rutilus, rubicundus, rubidus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.