Meanings
rouge1
comparative more rouge · superlative most rouge · alternative misspelling rogue
- Of a reddish pink colour.
plural rouges · alternative misspelling rogue
- countableuncountableRed or pink makeup to add colour to the cheeks; blusher.
1 more example
Before we could embark on the details of his mother's health we were joined by a fair, plump woman of indefinite age, who had once been—and at moments still was—very pretty. She wore a simple black silk dress, perhaps in deference to Tilly's death, though the note of mourning was jarred by flamboyant aquamarine ear-rings and too much rouge.
1956, Delano Ames, chapter 4, in Crime out of MindSynonyms: blush
- countableuncountableAny reddish pink colour.
- Canadiancountableuncountableball gamesA single point awarded when a team kicks the ball out of its opponent's end zone, or when a kicked ball becomes dead within the non-kicking team's end zone. Etymology uncertain; it is thought that in the early years of the sport, a red flag indicated that a single had been scored.
Synonyms: single
- countableobsoleteuncountableIn the Eton wall game, a scrummage, melée.
[A] wall [...] against which all those formidable "rouges" (as they are most underivably called) take place; in which above twenty players contend, kicking each others' shins nearly as often as the ball
1832 November 19, “On Eton Games, Continued”, in Eton College Magazine, number viii, page 284 - countableuncountableIn the Eton College field game, a scoring move accomplished by touching the ball down behind the opponents' goal-line (somewhat similar to the try in rugby). Originally, the player who scored the rouge had a chance to kick a goal, and the rouge was used as a tie-breaker if an equal number of goals was scored by each side. In the contemporary Eton College field game, a five-point score is awarded for kicking the ball so that it deflects off one of the opposing players and goes beyond the opposition's end of the pitch, and then touching the ball.
The 7 got 1 "gaol" and 1 "ruge"; the 11 got 1 "gaol" and 4 "ruges"
1840 November 29, C. Pepys, “[Letter to the editor]”, in Bell's Life in London^(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Football_(Bells_Life_in_London)_1840-11-29.png), page 41 more example
A rouge is obtained by touching the ball first, after it has been kicked behind
1847, H.H. Tremayne, A.R. Thompson, Field Game Rules^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Laws_of_the_Eton_Field_Game_(1847)) - countableobsoleteuncountableFrom 1862 to 1868, a similar scoring move in Sheffield rules football. From 1862 to 1867, accomplished by touching the ball down after it had been kicked between two "rouge flags" either side of the goal. From 1867-1868, awarded for kicking the ball between the rouge flags and under the crossbar.
A rouge is obtained by the player who first touches the ball after it has been kicked between the rouge flags
1862, Laws of the Sheffield Foot-Ball Club^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sheffield_Rules_(1862)) - archaiccountableuncountablechemistryA red amorphous powder consisting of ferric oxide, used in polishing and as a cosmetic; crocus; jeweller's rouge.
present singular third person rouges · participle present rouging · participle past rouged · past rouged · alternative misspelling rogue
- ambitransitiveTo apply rouge (makeup).
She rouged her face before setting out for the party.
1 more example
She was a lady of about fifty, I should think, youthfully dressed, and of a very fine complexion. If I add to the little list of her accomplishments that she rouged a little, I do not mean that there was any harm in it.
1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, chapter 13, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC
Rouge2
- A neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- A surname from French.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounRed or pink makeup to add colour to the cheeks; blusher.
nounA single point awarded when a team kicks the ball out of its opponent's end zone, or when a kicked ball becomes dead within the non-kicking team's end zone. Etymology uncertain; it is thought that in the early years of the sport, a red flag indicated that a single had been scored.
More synonyms by meaning
nounmakeup consisting of a pink or red powder applied to the cheeks
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
rouge · adjective, noun, verb
- Latinrubeus
- Frenchrouge
- Englishrouge
Borrowed from French rouge, from Latin rubeus. Compare rare Middle English rouge, rouȝ (“red”); later borrowed again, as it is not attested until c. 1750. The game senses are of unknown origin according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Full word history & related roots →Rouge · proper noun
- FrenchRouge
- FrenchRouge
- EnglishRouge
Borrowed from French Rouge.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian начервявам се
- начервявам се (načervjavam se)apply rouge
Finnish laittaa poskipunaa
- laittaa poskipunaaapply rouge
German Rouge, Rosarot
- Rougecolor
- Rosarotcolor
Hungarian rúzsoz
- rúzsozapply rouge
Romanian farda
- fardaapply rouge
Russian румя́на, румя́нить
- румя́на (rumjána)color
- румя́нить (rumjánitʹ)apply rouge
- нарумя́нить pf transitive (narumjánitʹ)apply rouge
- румя́ниться (rumjánitʹsja)apply rouge
- нарумя́ниться pf intransitive (narumjánitʹsja)apply rouge
Turkish allık sürmek
- allık sürmekapply rouge
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with rouge
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
rouge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rouge
“rouge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rouge. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rouge,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rouge.
Source: rouge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.