sanguine

Etymology

From Old 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^(key): /ˈsæŋ.ɡwɪn/

• Audio (US)

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Adjective

sanguine (comparative more sanguine, superlative most sanguine)

1. Having the colour of blood; blood red. [from late 14th c.]
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. [from early 16th c.]
   • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume I, chapter 18:

     Mrs. Weston was exceedingly disappointed—much more disappointed, in fact, than her husband, though her dependence on seeing the young man had been so much more sober: but a sanguine temper, though for ever expecting more good than occurs, does not always pay for its hopes by any proportionate depression. It soon flies over the present failure, and begins to hope again.

   • 1857, Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, Volume the Second, page 79 →ISBN

     It was clear that Dr. Gwynne was not very sanguine as to the effects of his journey to Barchester, and not over anxious to interfere with the bishop.

   I'm sanguine about the eventual success of the project.

Noun

sanguine (plural sanguines)

1. Blood colour; red.

   sanguine colour:  

2. Anything of a blood-red colour, as cloth.
3. (heraldry) A tincture, seldom used, of a blood-red colour (not to be confused with murrey).
4. Bloodstone.
5. Red crayon. See the Note under crayon, 1.

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
• exsanguinate

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

Further reading

• sanguine on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Guineans, guanines, uneasing

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɑ̃.ɡin/

Noun

sanguine f (plural sanguines)

1. (heraldry) A tincture, seldom used, of a blood-red colour (not to be confused with murrey, which is mûre in French).

Adjective

sanguine

1. feminine singular of sanguin

Further reading

• “sanguine” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsaŋ.ɡwi.ne/

Noun

sanguine (uncountable)

1. blood

Noun

sanguine

1. ablative singular of sanguis