red-handed
Showing clear evidence of guiltShowing clear evidence of guilt; in the act of wrongdoing.
Meaning
3 senses(idiomatic)Showing clear evidence of guilt; in the act of wrongdoing.
to catch red-handed
in flagranti (ertappt), auf frischer Tat (ertappt), bei der Tat
на ме́сте преступле́нияna méste prestuplénija, с поли́чнымs políčnym
Deadly, bloody.
(informal)With hands that are red from blood.
- in the act of committing a crime or other reprehensible act
Translations
7 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From red + handed, likening to a murderer with their hands red with the victim's blood. ThFrom red + handed, likening to a murderer with their hands red with the victim's blood. The phrase to be taken with red hand originally meant "to be caught in the act". The use of red hand in this sense dates back to at least the 15th century in medieval Scotland and Scots law. Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1819) contains the first recorded use of taken red-handed for someone apprehended in the act of committing a crime. The expression subsequently became more common as caught red-handed.
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Forms
more red-handed, most red-handed| Comparative | more red-handed Lesson |
|---|---|
| Superlative | most red-handed Lesson |
regular
Synonyms
1 synonymsWord family
4 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
- A2Superlatives — Because it has a superlative form