scarlet letter
scarlet letter · scarlet letters
The letter "A" in scarlet cloth required to be worn by those convicted of adultery in…The letter "A" in scarlet cloth required to be worn by those convicted of adultery in 17th-century Puritan New England.
Meaning
2 senses(historical)The letter "A" in scarlet cloth required to be worn by those convicted of adultery in 17th-century Puritan New England.
(broadly, figuratively)A highly visible stigma.
More definitions
- the letter A in red; Puritans required adulterers to wear it
Forms
plural: scarlet letters| Singular | scarlet letter |
|---|---|
| Plural | scarlet letters |
regular