Word of the Day

: February 15, 2020

vinaceous

adjective vye-NAY-shus

What It Means

: of the color of red wine

vinaceous in Context

The dove had a slight vinaceous tinge on its breast and tail.

"My Warwickshire venison was even better…; the seared loin was medium-rare, with a gorgeous vinaceous colour at its centre." — Zoe Williams, The Telegraph (London), 19 Feb. 2012

Did You Know?

The first recorded evidence of vinaceous in English dates from 1678, shortly before the accession of Mary II. If ever the queen used vinaceous, she was probably in the confines of her landscaped garden, admiring the vinaceous shades of petals or studying the vinaceous cap of a mushroom; since its beginning, vinaceous has flourished in the earthy lexicon of horticulture and mycology. It has also taken flight in the ornithological world as a descriptive word for the unique red coloring of some birds, like the vinaceous purple finch.