Word of the Day

: October 28, 2007

sanguineous

adjective san-GWIN-ee-us

What It Means

1 : bloodred

2 : of, relating to, or involving bloodshed
: bloodthirsty

3 : of, relating to, or containing blood

sanguineous in Context

The horror movie is a sanguineous remake of an old classic.

Did You Know?

"Sanguineous" isn't the only English adjective to come from "sanguis," the Latin word for "blood." "Sanguine," for one, has been with us since the 14th century. Nowadays, it usually means "confident" or "optimistic," but it can also mean "ruddy." (The "optimistic" sense stems from the medieval belief that a healthy red complexion denoted a courageous and hopeful temperament.) "Sanguineous" first appeared in the 16th century as a synonym of the "ruddy" sense of "sanguine," but now it's more often used in medical or scientific references to blood. It shares another sense -- "bloodthirsty" or "involving bloodshed" -- with "sanguinary," yet another "sanguis" descendant."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.