sanguine

English

WOTD – 30 March 2006    

Wikipedia

Etymology

From French sanguin, ultimately from Latin sanguineus (“of blood”), from sanguis (“blood”), of uncertain origin, perhaps Proto-Indo-European *h₁sh₂-én-, from *h₁ésh₂r̥ (“blood”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsæŋ.ɡwɪn/, X-SAMPA: /"s{N.gwIn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

sanguine (comparative more sanguine, superlative most sanguine)

1. Having the colour of blood; red.
2. (obsolete, physiology) Having a bodily constitution characterised by a preponderance of blood over the other bodily humours, thought to be marked by irresponsible mirth; indulgent in pleasure to the exclusion of important matters.
   • 1592 — Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus iv 2

     What, what, ye sanguine, shallow-hearted boys!

   • 1597 — Shakespeare, 1 Hen IV ii 4

     I'll be no longer guilty of this sin; this sanguine coward, this

     bed-presser, this horse-back-breaker, this huge hill of flesh.

3. Characterized by abundance and active circulation of blood.

   a sanguine bodily temperament

4. Warm; ardent.

   a sanguine temper

5. Anticipating the best; optimistic; not despondent; confident; full of hope.

   sanguine of success

Usage notes

Not to be confused with sanguinary.

Synonyms

animated assured bright bullish buoyant

cheerful cheery confident hopeful optimistic

positive red spirited upbeat

Antonyms

• gloomy
• pessimistic
• blue

Related terms

• sanguinary

Translations

having the colour of blood; red

• Dutch: bloedrood (nl), rood (nl)
• Finnish: verenpunainen (fi)
• Italian: sanguigno (it)

• Russian: кроваво-красный
• Spanish: rojo (es) m, roja (es) f
• Swedish: blodröd (sv)

warm; ardent

• Italian: sanguigno (it)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sangvinsk (nb)

  Nynorsk: sangvinsk (nn)

• Swedish: sangvinisk (sv)

anticipating the best

• Finnish: toiveikas (fi)
• Italian: ottimista (it) m, confidente (it) m
• Norwegian: optimistisk (no)

  Bokmål: sangvinsk (nb)

  Nynorsk: sangvinsk (nn)

• Polish: optymistyczny m
• Russian: оптимистичный (ru) (optimističnyj), жизнерадостный (ru) (žizneradostnyj)
• Swedish: sangvinisk (sv)

irresponsibly mirthful

• Swedish: sangvinisk (sv)

Noun

sanguine (plural sanguines)

1. Blood colour; red.

   sanguine colour:

2. Anything of a blood-red colour, as cloth.
3. Bloodstone.
4. Red crayon. See the Note under crayon, 1.

Translations

blood red colour

• Finnish: verenpunainen (fi)

• Polish: krwistoczerwony m

anything of a blood-red colour

bloodstone

• French: sanguine (fr) f

• Polish: heliotrop (pl) m

red crayon

• French: sanguine (fr) f

• Polish: czerwona kredka f

Verb

sanguine (third-person singular simple present sanguines, present participle sanguining, simple past and past participle sanguined)

1. To stain with blood; to impart the colour of blood to; to ensanguine.

Related terms

• sangaree
• sangria

See also

• (reds) red; blood red, brick red, burgundy, cardinal, carmine, carnation, cerise, cherry, cherry red, Chinese red, cinnabar, claret, crimson, damask, fire brick, fire engine red, flame, flamingo, fuchsia, garnet, geranium, gules, hot pink, incarnadine, Indian red, magenta, maroon, misty rose, nacarat, oxblood, pillar-box red, pink, Pompeian red, poppy, raspberry, red violet, rose, rouge, ruby, ruddy, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, shocking pink, stammel, strawberry, Turkey red, Venetian red, vermillion, vinaceous, vinous, violet red, wine ^{(Category: en:Reds)}

Anagrams

• guanines
• Guineans

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French

Adjective

sanguine

1. feminine form of sanguin

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Interlingua

Wikipedia ^ia

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsaŋ.ɡwi.ne/

Noun

sanguine

1. blood

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Latin

Noun

sanguine

1. ablative singular of sanguis