beetroot red

plural beetroot reds

1. countableuncountableA deep intense purplish red, often of a person's face when flushed with embarrassment.

   They fill your mouth with hot, spicy flavours or spiky textures, their leaves sometimes green, sometimes flushed with beetroot red.

   2001 August 12, Dan Pearson, “Turn over new leaves”, in The Observer, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 Aug 2013

   Synonyms: beet red

2. countableuncountablechemistryA glycoside obtained from beets and used as a food dye, also known as betanin and E162.

comparative more beetroot red · superlative most beetroot red

1. Of a deep intense purplish red.

   One night in 2008, Deborah Fleshman awoke in her bed to find that her legs had turned beetroot red.

   2022 May 13, Livia Albeck-Ripka, “The Tick That Causes a Meat Allergy Is on the Move”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 May 2022

   3 more examples

   Bill Nighy is not your usual film star. Gaunt and diffident, he turns beetroot red at the mention of his Man of the Year title (editor's special prize), awarded by GQ magazine and the idea of posing on the red carpets of the Cannes film festival fill him with dread.

   2011 November 3, Patrick Wintour, Larry Elliott, “Bill Nighy takes Robin Hood tax to the G20”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 01 Oct 2013

   The paper says that Bild “gloats” about our tendency to turn beetroot red in the sun, and “adds insult to injury” by cruelly stating that too much beer on the beach makes us weigh down the plane on the way home.

   2014 August 1, Holly Baxter, “Brits abroad, feel no shame! We can’t let the Germans spoil our summer”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 Jul 2014

   The roadside cafe is called Borscht, advertised with a gigantic beetroot red sign, leaving little doubt what people around here like to eat.

   2020 November 4, Maria Varenikova, Andrew E. Kramer, “A New Front Opens in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Borscht”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2020

   Synonyms: beet red