From Middle English scarlet, scarlat, borrowed from Old French escarlate, from Medieval Latin scarlatum, of uncertain origin.

• (America) IPA: /ˈskɑɹlɪt/
• (RP) IPA: /ˈskɑːlɪt/
• (Australia) IPA: /ˈskɐːlət/

scarlet

1. A brilliant red colour tinged with orange.

    

2. Cloth of a scarlet color.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Proverbs 31:21 ↗:

     All her household are clothed with scarlet.

• scarlet red

• French: écarlate
• German: Scharlachrot, Scharlach
• Italian: scarlatto
• Portuguese: escarlate
• Russian: а́лый
• Spanish: escarlata

• Portuguese: escarlate
• Spanish: escarlata, escarlatina

scarlet

1. Of a bright red colour.
   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC ↗, page 168 ↗:

     Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.

2. Sinful or whorish.

   a scarlet woman

3. (Ireland) Blushing; embarrassed or mortified.
   • 26 October 2021, Aisling Marron, I brought the baby to her first vaccinations. Her look said: why have you betrayed me? ↗, The Irish Times:

     He signed off our correspondence, “Well thank God for facemasks, cos I’m scarlet”.

• French: écarlate
• German: scharlachrot, scharlach
• Portuguese: escarlate
• Russian: а́лый
• Spanish: escarlata

scarlet (scarlets, present participle scarleting; simple past and past participle scarleted)

1. (transitive) To dye or tinge (something) with scarlet.
   • 1633, Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], Loues Sacrifice. A Tragedie […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Hugh Beeston, […], →OCLC ↗, Act IV ↗:

     Forbeare; the aſhy paleneſſe of my cheeke / Is ſcarletted in ruddy flakes of vvrath: […]

1. A female given name, a modern variant of Scarlett, or from the common noun scarlet.