View source for Crimson

{{short description|Strong, bright, deep reddish purple color}}
{{Other uses}}
{{infobox color
| title=Crimson
| hex=DC143C
| source=[[Web colors#HTML color names|HTML/CSS]]<ref name="css3-color-crimson">{{Cite web |url=http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-color/#crimson |title=W3C CSS3 Color Module |access-date=2015-01-18 |archive-date=2017-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129235005/http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-color/#crimson |url-status=live }}</ref>
| isccname=Vivid red}}
<!--{{color swatch|#DC143C|Crimson|center}}-->
'''Crimson '''is a rich, deep [[red]] color, inclining to [[purple]].<ref>
{{oed | crimson}}
</ref>{{better source needed |reason=need source from field of spectroscopy |date=September 2025}}
It originally meant the [[color]] of the [[kermes (dye)|kermes dye]] produced from a [[scale insect]], ''[[Kermes vermilio]]'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and [[rose (color)|rose]]. It is the [[National symbols of Nepal|national color]] of [[Nepal]].

==History==
'''Crimson''' (NR4) is produced using the dried bodies of a [[scale insect]], [[Kermes (insect)|''Kermes'']], which were gathered commercially in Mediterranean countries, where they live on the [[kermes oak]], and sold throughout Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.naturenet.net/blogs/2009/01/the-prickly-question-of-oak-leaves/ |title=Naturenet article with images and description of ''Kermes vermilio'' and its foodplant |date=15 January 2009 |access-date=2012-05-16 |archive-date=2014-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114192341/http://www.naturenet.net/blogs/2009/01/the-prickly-question-of-oak-leaves/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Kermes dyes have been found in burial wrappings in [[Anglo-Scandinavian]] [[York]]. They fell out of use with the introduction of [[Carmine (color)|carmine]], also made from scale insects, because although the dyes were comparable in quality and color intensity, ten to twelve times as much kermes is needed to produce the same effect as carmine.

'''[[Carmine_(color)|Carmine]]''' is a slightly different shade of red, extracted from a different insect (female [[cochineal]]), although these denominations are sometimes confused or exchanged on purpose. Cochineal appears to have been brought to Europe by the Spaniard [[Hernán Cortés]] during the [[conquest of the Aztec Empire]] and the name 'carmine' is derived from the French ''carmin''. It was first described by [[Pietro Andrea Mattioli]] in 1549. The pigment is also called ''cochineal'' after the insect from which it is made.

Alizarin crimson was invented in 1868.{{Sfn|Feisner|2006|p=142}} '''[[Alizarin]]''' (PR83) is a pigment that was first synthesized in 1868 by the German [[chemist]]s [[Carl Gräbe]] and [[Carl Liebermann]] and replaced the natural pigment [[madder lake]]. Alizarin crimson is a dye bonded onto [[alum]] which is then used as a pigment and mixed with [[ochre]], [[sienna]] and [[umber]]. It is not totally colorfast.

Several historical [[color model]]s have described crimson as a basic color:
* [[Aristotle]] listed {{Lang|grc|phoinikoun}} as one of the basic colors, which is customarily translated as crimson.{{Sfn|Kuehni|Schwarz|2008|pp=28–29}} He described it as having [[harmony]] with the color [[purple]] in his ''[[Sense and Sensibilia (Aristotle)|Sense and Sensibilia]]''.{{Sfn|Ackerman|1980|p=39}}
* The 1708 edition of ''[[Traité de la Peinture en Mignature]]'' listed crimson red as a [[secondary color]] made up of red and blue, which is used to create other colors. It is listed alongside fire red, which mixes red and yellow.{{Sfn|Kuehni|Schwarz|2008|p=58}}
* Entomologist [[Ignaz Schiffermüller]] included crimson red in his 12-color [[color wheel]] in 1772. He placed it between red and violet red, with fire red included on the other side of red.{{Sfn|Kuehni|Schwarz|2008|p=60}}
* Physicist [[Thomas Young (scientist)|Thomas Young]] listed crimson as one of seven basic colors in 1807, distinguishing it from red.{{Sfn|Kuehni|Schwarz|2008|p=129}}
* Printing technologist [[Frederic Eugene Ives]] defined the color as the opposite of green in 1902, naming it "minus green".{{Sfn|Kuehni|Schwarz|2008|p=180}}
* Art historian [[Arthur Upham Pope]] described alizarine crimson as well as [[rose madder]] as the ideal pigment for a basic red in 1929.{{Sfn|Kuehni|Schwarz|2008|p=303}}

==Etymology==
Crimson is a type of [[red]].{{Sfn|Casson|1994|p=6}} English dictionaries define crimson as a deep red, a rich red, or a purplish red.{{Sfn|Tolochin|Tkalich|2018|pp=23–25}} The word ''crimson'' refers to the [[Kermes (insect)|kermes insect]] used to create the [[Kermes (dye)|kermes dye]]. It comes from the Arabic word for the kermes insect, which was adapted to [[Medieval Latin]] and then [[Middle English]], where it referred to both the insect and the dye {{circa|1400}}.{{Sfn|Casson|1994|p=15}}

Earlier forms include ''cremesin'', ''crymysyn'' and ''cramoysin'' (cf. cramoisy, a crimson cloth). These were adapted via [[Old Spanish]] from the [[Medieval Latin]] {{lang|la|cremesinus}} (also {{lang|la|kermesinus}} or {{lang|la|carmesinus}}), the dye produced from ''[[Kermes (insect)|Kermes]]'' scale insects, and can be traced back to Arabic {{lang|ar-Latn|qirmizi}} ({{lang|ar|قرمزي}}) ("red") {{IPA|[qrmzj]}} ({{pronunciation|Q303826-ar.ogg|listen|help=no}}), also borrowed in [[Turkic languages]] {{lang|tr|kırmız}} and many other languages, e.g. German {{lang|de|Karmesin}}, Italian {{lang|it|cremisi}}, French {{lang|fr|cramoisi}}, Portuguese {{lang|pt|carmesim}}, Dutch {{lang|nl|karmozijn}}, etc. (via Latin). The ultimate source from Classical Persian کرمست (''kirmist''), from Middle Persian; see Proto-Indo-Iranian ''*kŕ̥miš''. Cognate with Sanskrit कृमिज (''kṛmija''). Doublet of ''kermes''; also see ''carmine''.<ref>"American Heritage Dictionary", s.v. ''Kermes''; also [[Friedrich Kluge|Kluge]], "Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache", s.v. ''Karmesin'', et al.</ref>

A shortened form of {{lang|la|carmesinus}} also gave the Latin {{lang|la|carminus}}, from which comes ''[[carmine]]''.

Other cognates include the Persian {{lang|fa-Latn|ghermez}} "red" derived from "kermest" the red worm,<ref>Dehkhoda Dictionary https://www.vajehyab.com/dehkhoda/قرمز {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129011304/https://www.vajehyab.com/dehkhoda/%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2 |date=2021-11-29 }}</ref> [[Old Church Slavonic]] {{lang|cu|чрьвл҄ѥнъ}} ({{lang|cu|črьvl'enъ}}), archaic [[Russian language|Russian]] {{lang|ru|чермный}} ({{lang|ru-Latn|čermnyj}}), [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] {{lang|bg|червен}} ({{lang|bg-Latn|cherven}}), and [[Serbo-Croatian]] {{lang|sh|crven}} "red". Cf. also [[vermilion]].

== Connotations ==
Crimson is sometimes used to describe the color of blood.{{Sfn|Tolochin|Tkalich|2018|pp=26–28}} Crimson sometimes described the color of [[blushing]], though brighter reds such as [[scarlet (color)|scarlet]] may also be used in this context.{{Sfn|Tolochin|Tkalich|2018|pp=23–25}}

In descriptive writing, crimson is sometimes used to emphasize the color red in a more intense usage and invoke a stronger emotional connotation.{{Sfn|Tolochin|Tkalich|2018|pp=28–29}} The color can be used negatively to describe anger or malice. It may alternatively be associated with style or class, especially in the context of fashion or interior design.{{Sfn|Tolochin|Tkalich|2018|pp=26–28}}

==Dyes==
{{Main article|Carmine|Kermes (dye)}}
[[File:Carminic acid structure.png|thumb|Carminic acid]]

Carmine [[natural dye|dyes]], which give crimson and related red and purple colors, are based on an [[aluminium]] and [[calcium]] [[salt (chemistry)|salt]] of [[carminic acid]]. '''Carmine lake''' is an aluminium or aluminium-tin [[lake pigment|lake]] of cochineal extract, and '''crimson lake''' is prepared by striking down an infusion of cochineal with a 5 [[percent]] [[Solution (chemistry)|solution]] of [[alum]] and [[Potassium tartrate|cream of tartar]]. '''Purple lake''' is prepared like carmine lake with the addition of [[calcium oxide|lime]] to produce the deep purple tone. Carmine dyes tend to fade quickly.

Carmine dyes were once widely prized in both the Americas and in Europe. They were used in paints by [[Michelangelo]] and for the crimson fabrics of the [[Hussars]], the [[Turkic peoples|Turks]], the [[Red coat (British army)|British Redcoats]], and the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]].

Nowadays carmine dyes are used for coloring foodstuffs, medicines and cosmetics. As a [[food additive]] in the European Union, carmine dyes are designated [[Carmine|E120]], and are also called '''cochineal''' and '''Natural Red 4'''. Carmine dyes are also used in some [[oil paint]]s and [[watercolor]]s used by artists.

==In nature==
*The [[Red tide|crimson tide]] which sometimes occurs on beaches is caused by a type of algae known as ''[[Karenia brevis]]''.
[[File:Crimson Rosella dec07.jpg|alt=Crimson rosella|thumb|upright|[[Crimson rosella]]]]
*[[Crimson rosella]]s are a subspecies of [[parrot]] that are common in [[Australia]].
*The [[crimson sunbird]] is the national bird of [[Singapore]].
*The [[Crimson-breasted shrike|crimson-breasted gonolek]] is an African [[bushshrike]] with a bright crimson breast.
*Crimson clover (''[[Trifolium incarnatum]]'') is a clover species native to Europe
*Crimson glory vine (''[[Vitis coignetiae]]'') is a vine species native to Asia
*Hind's Crimson Star is an alternative name of the deep orange-red variable star [[R Leporis]]

==In culture==
===Literature===
*In [[George R.R. Martin]]'s series ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', crimson is the family color of [[List of A Song of Ice and Fire characters|House Lannister]].
*There is a Space Marine chapter in [[Warhammer 40,000]] called the "Crimson Fists", who also paint the left glove of every warrior a deep red.
*In ''[[The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower]]'' by [[Stephen King]], the principal antagonist is the [[Crimson King]].
*The Flash ([[Barry Allen]]), a DC Comics superhero, wears a red costume and runs at super-speed. He is sometimes called The Crimson Comet.
* The [[Crimson Dynamo]] is the code name of a line of armor-wearing Soviet agents in Marvel Comics who frequently clash with [[Iron Man]]. 

===Music===
*"[[Crimson and Clover]]" (1968 song)
*[[King Crimson]] (band)
**''[[In the Court of the Crimson King]]'' (1969)
***"[[The Court of the Crimson King]]"
*[[W.A.S.P. (band)|W.A.S.P.]] - ''[[The Crimson Idol]]'' (album)
*[[Crimson (band)|Crimson]] (band)
*''Crimson, white and indigo'' is how [[Jerry Garcia]] describes the American flag in "Standing on the Moon".
*[[Sentenced]] - ''[[Crimson (Sentenced album)|Crimson]]'' (album)
*"Crimson," 2022 song by [[Skott]]

===Film===
*In [[Guillermo del Toro]]'s 2015 [[gothic romance]] film ''[[Crimson Peak]]'', the Sharpes' dilapidated mansion Allerdale Hall, which is steadily sinking into the red clay, is referred to as "Crimson Peak" due to the warm red clay seeping through the snow.
*The 1952 film ''[[The Crimson Pirate]]'' starred [[Burt Lancaster]] and [[Nick Cravat]]. Set late in the 18th century, on the fictional Caribbean islands of San Pero and Cobra, where a rebellion on Cobra is underway by the mysterious "El Libre". Pirate Captain Vallo captures the King's ship carrying His Majesty's envoy.

===Nobility===
*In Polish, ''karmazyn'' (crimson) is a synonym for a [[magnate]], i.e., a member of the rich, high [[nobility]] as only they may wear robing dyed from the scale insect.

===Religion===
*In [[Baháʼí literature|scriptures]] of the [[Baháʼí Faith]], crimson stands for tests and sacrifice, among other things<ref>{{Cite book |last = Taherzadeh |first = Adib | author-link = Adib Taherzadeh |year = 1992 |title = The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh |publisher = George Ronald |place = Oxford, UK |isbn = 0-85398-344-5 | page = 162}}</ref>

===Food===
*[[Rhubarb]] is sometimes poetically referred to as ''crimson stalks''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://chezdanisse.blogspot.com/2010/04/crimson-stalks.html |title=Rhubarb —the crimson stalks--rhubarb recipes |date=18 April 2010 |access-date=2012-05-28 |archive-date=2011-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013103639/http://chezdanisse.blogspot.com/2010/04/crimson-stalks.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.henryfields.com/category/rhubarb_plants |title=Rhubarb plants—the crimson stalks |access-date=2012-05-28 |archive-date=2017-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211081402/http://www.henryfields.com/category/rhubarb_plants |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://houseofbrands.pk/crimson-pakistan/ |title=Crimson x Saira Shakira stalks |access-date=2021-05-14 |archive-date=2021-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514062304/https://houseofbrands.pk/crimson-pakistan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Military===
*The Danish [[Guard Hussar Regiment (Denmark)|hussar regiment's]] ceremonial uniform for enlisted members has a crimson [[pelisse]].
*A regiment of the [[British Army]], [[The King's Royal Hussars]] still wears crimson trousers as successors to the 11th Hussars (the "Cherrypickers")
*In the [[United States Army]], crimson is the color of the [[United States Army Ordnance Corps|Ordnance Corps]].

===School colors===
{{Infobox color
|title=Crimson ([[University of Alabama|UA]])
|hex=9E1B32
|source=<ref name="UA-GS-2018">{{cite web |title=Graphic Standards 2018–19 |url=https://strategiccommunications.ua.edu/img/UA-BrandingStandards-5.18.18.pdf |publisher=[[University of Alabama]] |access-date=December 31, 2018 |page=27 |date=May 18, 2018}}</ref>
|isccname=Vivid red}}
*Some [[Fraternities and Sororities|Greek letter organizations]] use crimson as one of their official colors: [[Delta Sigma Theta]] (ΔΣΘ), [[Kappa Alpha Psi]] (ΚΑΨ), and [[Kappa Alpha Order]] (ΚΑ).
*Crimson is the school color of several universities, including [[Korea University]], [[University of Belgrano]] and [[University of Talca]]
**In the United States including, [[Harvard University]], [[University of Kansas]], [[Indiana University (Bloomington)|Indiana University]], [[New Mexico State University]], [[Saint Joseph's University]], [[Tuskegee University]], [[University of Alabama]],<ref name="UA-GS-2018" /> [[University of Denver]], [[University of Oklahoma]], [[University of Utah]], [[Washington State University]], and [[Worcester Polytechnic Institute]]
*The daily newspaper at Harvard is ''[[The Harvard Crimson]]''.
*The daily newspaper at Alabama is called ''[[The Crimson White]]''.
*Harvard's athletic teams are the [[Harvard Crimson|Crimson]], and those of the [[University of Alabama]] are the Crimson Tide.

===Vexillology===
*Crimson is the national color of [[Nepal]] and forms the background of the [[flag of Nepal|country's flag]].<ref>[[Flag of Nepal]]-2nd line</ref> It also appears on the [[flag of Poland]].

==See also==
*[[Alizarin crimson (color)]]
*[[List of colors]]
**[[Amaranth (color)]]
**[[Carmine (color)]]
**[[Ruby (color)]]
**[[Scarlet (color)|Scarlet]]
*[[Kermes (dye)]]
*[[National symbols of Nepal]]
*Red dye insects:
**[[Armenian cochineal]]
**[[Polish cochineal]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== References ==
* {{Cite journal |last=Ackerman |first=James S. |author-link=James S. Ackerman |date=1980 |title=On Early Renaissance Color Theory and Practice |journal=Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome |volume=35 |pages=11–44 |doi=10.2307/4238679 |issn=0065-6801}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Casson |first=Ronald W. |date=1994 |title=Russett, Rose, and Raspberry: The Development of English Secondary Color Terms |journal=Journal of Linguistic Anthropology |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=5–22 |doi=10.1525/jlin.1994.4.1.5 |issn=1055-1360}}
* {{Cite book |last=Feisner |first=Edith Anderson |title=Colour: How to Use Colour in Art and Design |date=2006 |publisher=Laurence King Publishing |isbn=978-1-85669-441-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kuehni |first=Rolf G. |last2=Schwarz |first2=Andreas |title=Color Ordered: A Survey of Color Order Systems from Antiquity to the Present |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-984774-7}}
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Crimson}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Tolochin |first=Igor |last2=Tkalich |first2=Anna |date=2018-12-01 |title=Crimson: More than a shade of red (dictionary definitions versus context use) |url=https://topling.ukf.sk/index.php/topling/article/view/55 |journal=Topics in Linguistics |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=22–37 |doi=10.2478/topling-2018-0008 |issn=2199-6504|doi-access=free }}
* [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=crimson&searchmode=none Etymology OnLine]

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category}}

{{shades of red}}
{{shades of magenta}}
{{Color topics}}

[[Category:Quaternary colors]]
[[Category:Food additives]]
[[Category:Organic pigments]]
[[Category:Animal dyes]]
[[Category:Pigments]]
[[Category:Shades of red]]