paint the town red Definition

paint
noun

1. Colouring matter in the form of a liquid which is applied to a surface and dries forming a hard surface.

Thesaurus: oils, enamel, lacquer, primer, stain, tint, colour, dye.
2. A dried coating of this.
3. A tube or tablet of colouring matter for creating pictures.
4. old use
Face make-up; cosmetics.

verb painted, painting

1. To apply a coat of paint to (walls, woodwork, etc).

Thesaurus: cover, coat, tint, decorate, ornament.
2. To turn something a certain colour by this means.

Example: paint the door yellow
tr & intr
3. To make (pictures) using paint.

Thesaurus: compose, shade, tint, wash.
4. To depict (a person, place or thing) in paint.

Thesaurus: portray, picture, depict, shade, tint, wash.
5. To describe (a scene, place or person) as if in paint.
tr & intr
6. old use
To put make-up on (one's face).

Derivative: paintable
adj

Suitable for painting.

Idiom: paint the town red

To go out and celebrate something lavishly.

Etymology: 13c: from French peint, past participle of peindre to paint.

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red
adj redder, reddest

1. Referring to the colour of blood, or a colour similar to it.
2. Said of hair, fur, etc: of a colour which varies between a golden brown and a deep reddish-brown.
3. Said of the eyes: bloodshot or with red rims.
4. Having a red or flushed face, especially from shame or anger, or from physical exertion.
5. Said of wine: made with black grapes whose skins colour the wine a deep red.
6. derog colloq
Communist.
7. chiefly colloq
Relating to the former USSR; Soviet.
Example: the Red Army
Form: Red

8. Indicating the most extreme urgency. See red alert.

noun

1. The colour of blood, or a similar shade.
2. Red dye or paint.
3. Red material or clothes.
4. The red traffic light, a sign that cars should stop.
5. Anything red.
6. The debit side of an account; the state of being in debt, eg to a bank. Compare black (noun 6).

Form: be in the red (usually)
7. derog colloq
A communist or socialist.
Form: Red (often)

Derivative: reddish
adj

Somewhat red.

Derivative: redly
adverb

Derivative: redness
noun

Idiom: paint the town red

colloq
To go out to enjoy oneself in a lively, noisy and often drunken way.

Idiom: see red

colloq
To become angry. See also redden.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon read.