Meanings
nounred under the bed (plural reds under the bed or reds under the beds)
plural reds under the bed · plural reds under the beds
- slangAn insidious communist presence; a communist who has infiltrated capitalist society.
Origin
From red (meaning communist) and the traditional child's fear of a monster lurking under the bed.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
red under the bed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20under%20the%20bed
MLA
“red under the bed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20under%20the%20bed. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “red under the bed,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20under%20the%20bed.
Source: red under the bed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.