para red

noun

¦parə+

1

: blood red

2

or less commonly para red toner sometimes capitalized P&R : any of a group of brilliant bluish or yellowish red azo dyes or pigments that have fair resistance to light but that may bleed in water and many organic solvents, that are made by coupling diazotized para-nitroaniline with beta-naphthol often mixed with a beta-naphthol-sulfonic acid for producing the darker shades of red, and that are used chiefly in paints and printing inks

especially : paranitraniline red compare fire red sense 2

Word History

Etymology

para- entry 1

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!