rouge

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

On a recent visit, we were comforted that the low-lit, red-hued dining room and bar strung with romantic rouge lights remain the same.

— suzanne loudermilk, baltimoresun.com, "Under new ownership, Maggie's Farm is finding its footing," 11 Aug. 2017
Tammy Faye became famous for her garish makeup — false eyelashes, red rouge and heavy lipstick.

— steve helling, PEOPLE.com, "Inside the Jessica Hahn Scandal: How a 21-year-old Church Secretary Brought Down a Televangelist Empire," 5 Aug. 2017
The collection includes cream rouge, lipsticks, an eyeshadow palette, a face powder, and more.

— rosemary donahue, Allure, "Here's Your First Look at Besamé's Gorgeous Snow White Collection," 16 July 2017
This show was as transient as the rouge of a cancan girl (to pinch from Lampedusa).

— luke leitch, Vogue, "Sicilians Do It Better: Dolce & Gabbana Present Their Alta Moda in Palermo," 8 July 2017
Yes, vin rouge is red wine in French and vino rosso in Italian, but red wine in Spanish isn’t vino roso but vino tinto.

— hugh garvey, CNT, "How to Order Wine Abroad," 26 June 2017
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, Condé Nast Traveler, "Chef Daniel Boulud on His Air France Menus—And Drinking at 38,000 Feet," 1 June 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! Time Traveler

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

A normally modest Lisa Gherardini appears for her sitting heavily rouged, her hair in a snood, her lavish jewelry and ornamental scarves someone else’s idea.

— christine dolen, miamiherald, "Intriguing stories swirl in new play about the iconic Mona Lisa," 17 July 2017
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