Code Red

noun

variants or code red

plural Code Reds or code reds

1

: a declaration or state of emergency in a hospital when smoke or fire has been detected

2

: an officially declared emergency situation (such as a hazardous weather event) that requires action to ensure safety

If residents see a person who appears unhoused during a Code Red, they are urged to request a street outreach team by contacting the city's Homeless Outreach hotline …

—Zoë Read et al.

also : a warning of such a situation

There were no notifications, no warning sirens, no Code Reds issued.

—The Houston Chronicle

(figurative) But the Code Red isn't just for Newark: The whole country faces a critical lack of air-traffic controllers, with the Federal Aviation Administration looking to hire another 3,000 …

—The New York Post

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2