rouge

play

noun \ˈrüzh, especially Southern ˈrüj\

Definition of rouge

1 : any of various cosmetics for coloring the cheeks or lips red
2 : a red powder consisting essentially of ferric oxide used in polishing glass, metal, or gems and as a pigment

See rouge defined for English-language learners

See rouge defined for kids

Examples of rouge in a Sentence

She was wearing too much rouge.

Recent Examples of rouge from the Web

This fact, combined with the possibility of scoring a rouge, can lead to some very interesting decisions when a team faces third down (or even second-and-long).

— chris burke, SI.com, "CFL 101: An NFL fan's guide to falling in love with a new league this summer", 22 June 2017
Touchdowns are 6 points, and field goals are 3, just as in the N.F.L., but there is also a single-point play with a French name (a rouge) awarded for punts that go into the end zone without being returned.

— mitch moxley, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: The Canadian Football League", 15 June 2017
Take a Bordeaux with lamb stew, and the wonderful Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vallée du Rhône rouge with braised chicken.

— cynthia drescher, CNT, "Chef Daniel Boulud on His Air France Menus—And Drinking at 38,000 Feet", 1 June 2017
According to Buzzfeed News, people started getting the rouge emails around 2:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

— ryan workman, ajc, "Scam alert: You may not want to click that Google Docs link", 3 May 2017
Also, War Paint is not everyone's cup of rouge, but attention for Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole, as well as the exquisite design elements, should boost its numbers.

— david rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "Tonys: Previewing the Noms, Possible Snubs and Surprises", 1 May 2017
Bandol makes excellent rosés, too, but Bandol rouge is better for sweater season than swimsuit.

— eric asimov, New York Times, "Madeira Still Has a Place at the Table JAN. 30, 2017", 30 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rouge'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rouge

French, from Middle French, from rouge red, from Latin rubeus reddish — more at ruby

NEW!

First Known Use: 1746

See Words from the same year

Other Fashion Terms

bodkin, chignon, cowlick, eau de toilette, imperial, pocket, pomander, tonsorial

rouge

verb

Definition of rouge

rouged

;

rouging

transitive verb
1 : to apply rouge to
2 : to cause to redden
intransitive verb
: to use rouge

Recent Examples of rouge from the Web

This is even better in a version rouged by chile oil and hiding traces of Sichuan peppercorn, their presence betrayed by a gradual blurring of the lips.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "For This Soup, Some Assembly Is Required (and Provided)", 2 June 2017