Forms: 5–6 cremesin(e, -yn(e, -ysyn, crimesin, -yne, crymysyn, -esyn, -asyn(e, cramoysin, -en, -mysin, cremoysin, (crenseyn), 6 cremosin, crimison, -ozen, (chrymesyn), cremsin, crymsen, -on(e, 6–7 crimosin(e, -yn(e, crymosen, -in(e, crimsin, (7 crimzon, -sone), 6– crimson. [The 15th c. cremesin(e corresponds exactly to early Sp. cremesin (cited 1403–12), early It. cremesino and med.L. cremesīnus, variants (by metathesis of r) of med.L. kermesīnus, carmesinus, It. chermesino, carmesino, Sp. carmesin (16th c.), f. It. chermisí, cremesí, Sp. carmesí (cited 1422), (a. Arab. qermazi, qirmazī: see CRAMOISY) + suffix -ino, L. -īnus: see -INE. Thence our 16th c. variants. The corresponding 15–16th F. form was cramoisin (Littré), whence occasional Eng. cramoysine; the disturbing influence of this probably appears also in cremosin, crimosin, crimison, crimson.]
A. adj. 1. The name of a color: of a deep red somewhat inclining towards purple; of the color of an alkaline infusion of cochineal.
Historically, the color obtained from the Kermes or Scarlet Grain insect, at first chiefly used in dyeing fine cloth and velvet (F. velours cramoisi), in connection with which this shade of red was first distinguished in English.
c. 1440. Partonope, 5976. A mantel … Of rede saten full good cremesyn.
1462. Mann. & Househ. Exp., 149. A jaket off crymysyn clothe.
1517. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), V. 86. My gowne of crymsen velwett.
1548. Hall, Chron., 116 b. All appareled in Crimosyne clothe.
1549. Chaloner, Erasmus on Folly, O iv b. This cramoysen gowne.
1568. Turner, Herbal, III. 16. It hath a cremesin color.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 67. Some of them glitter with a perfect crimson dye.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., II. 130. Dyed in Lilly white and Cremsin redde.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 224. Two Lanthorns … the one a Crimsin, and the other an Azure.
1670–98. Lassels, Voy. Italy, I. 68. Velvet coats of crimosin colour.
1860. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., V. VII. i. § 8. 110. Why … are the most distant clouds crimsonest?
1866. Kingsley, Herew., I. x. 228. She turned first deadly pale, and then crimson.
2. fig. Often used with reference to blood; sanguinary.
a. 1681. Sir G. Wharton, Wks. (1683), 340. Why may not I some Crimson Lines leave out, To save my Ankles from the Prison-gout?
1777. Sir W. Jones, Pal. Fortune, 19. Crimson conquest glow’d where’er he trod.
1872. Blackie, Lays Highl., 81. The crimson crime, The basest in the book of Time.
B. sb. (The adj. used absolutely.)
1. The color or pigment.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 241. The most costyous cloth of crenseyn.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 523. Cladde in one lyuerey of browne … and … in blewe and cremesyne.
1509–10. Act 1 Hen. VIII., c. 14. Of the Colour of Crymesyn or blewe.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., V. ii. 323. Ros’d ouer with the Virgin Crimson of Modestie.
1664. Boyle, Exper. & Consid. Colours, 289 (J.). Crimson seems to be little else than a very deep Red, with (perhaps) an Eye of Blew.
1791. Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, II. II. III. v. 195. These salts … have the property of changing the colour of scarlet to crimson.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 537. For pale crimsons the quantity of cochineal is reduced.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xxiv. 175. The western heaven glowed with crimson.
† 2. Crimson cloth. Obs.
14[?]. Epiph., in Tundale’s Vis., 114. Was ther any veluet or crymysyn.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xvi. 63. A sleue … of fyne cremoysin alle drawen ouer wyth golde wyer.
1561. Daus, trans. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573), 144 b. Not … clothed in … veluet, sattin, or damaske, or crimosine ingrayned, but in sackecloth.
1595. Spenser, Epithal., 228. Like crimsin dyde in grayne.
1611. Cotgr., Alchermes, a graine wherewith Crimzons are dyed.
C. Comb., as crimson-barred, -colo(u)red, -dyed, -scarfed, -tipped, -warm adjs.; also with colors, expressing blended shades, as crimson-carmine, -lake, -purple, -violet, etc.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. I. I. (1641), 86/1. A crimsin-coloured juice.
1683. trans. Erasmus’ Moriæ Enc., 56. Those crimson-died crimes.
1786. Burns, Mountain Daisy. Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flow’r.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., II. lviii. The crimson-scarfed men of Macedon.
1877. Black, Green Past., xii. (1878), 98. The … crimson-tipped bird’s-foot trefoil.
1882. Garden, 24 June, 435/3. Flaked with crimson-purple.
