claret

Etymology

From Middle English claret, from Middle French claret, from Medieval Latin claratum vīnum, from clārus. Compare tent (“Spanish red wine”), also from color

noun

1. (chiefly Britain) A dry red wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France, or a similar wine made elsewhere.
   The vesper bell had rung its parting note; the domini were mostly caged in comfortable quarters, discussing the merits of old port; and the merry student had closed his oak, to consecrate the night to friendship, sack, and claret. The New Sporting Magazine (volume 15, page 23)
   CLARET JELLY SANDWICH: Soak one box of gelatine in one cup of cold water, then dissolve in one cup of boiling water, add one cup of sugar and strain. When cold, add the juice of half a lemon, and one cup of claret and set in a cool place. When ready for use, cover thin slices of lightly buttered white bread with the jelly, cover with another slice of buttered bread and cut in strips. 1909, Eva Greene Fuller, The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways to Make a Sandwich, page 155
2. (color) A deep purplish-red colour, like that of the wine.
   claret:
   Honey smiled hugely, so that Alex was shown every one of her claret gums. 2002, Zadie Smith, The Autograph Man, Penguin Books (2003), page 243
3. (Britain, colloquial) Blood.
   Time being called, Johnson rose from his second’s knee with the heart of a lion—the immense size and weight of his opponent seemed lost sight of—not a particle of fear belonged to him; and screwing his courage up to the sticking-place, boldly faced his man, putting all the excellence of his science into action, put in such a tremendous blow on the sensitive plant of Perrins—otherwise his sneezer, or nose—whichever term you like best—that split it all the way down as if cut open with a carving-knife; the claret flowing in torrents; and the Giant floored! 1851, Pierce Egan, Every Gentleman’s Manual: A Lecture on the Art of Self-Defence, page 46
   I then gave him a dig on the head with my fist. He squared up, and pouted like an enraged chameleon, looking savagely at me. I gave him another dig, which sent him staggering. He squared again: I gave him another; till at last, as the claret was flowing, he sulked off, and said he would not serve me any more. 1863, John Hanning Speke, Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile, page 271
   Blooded warrior Paul Ince, with his head bedecked in a bandage – if not quite possessing quite the amount of claret spilled by Terry Butcher in Stockholm in 1989 – enforcing order on a patch of green in Rome to help his country triumph in the face of adversity and clear a path to the World Cup finals of 1998. October 1, 2017, “Bygones: Ince gives blood for the cause as he leads from the front in Rome”, in Yorkshire Post
   You play as one of these Revenants, but there’s no feeding on human blood, as instead the most reliable source of claret comes from things called blood beads, which grow on plants. Sep 27, 2019, “Code Vein review – it's an anime version of Dark Souls”, in Metro
   He was rejuvenated within a week, thanks to a diet of fresh claret direct from the jugular, while the lawyer slept. January 2, 2020, Roxy Simons, “'How the hell am I supposed to sleep tonight, BBC?': Viewers are left terrified by first episode of Dracula with its decapitated nun and blood-thirsty babies (but some are distracted by vampire's quirky accent)”, in Daily Mail
   DeLuca beat the count but Brook had the stench of claret filling his nostrils and he was close to getting the finish before the bell saved the overmatched 31-year-old. Feb 8, 2020, Wally Downes Jr, “KELL OF A WIN: Kell Brook enjoys triumphant return in Sheffield as he knocks out Mark DeLuca in the seventh round”, in The Sun

adj

1. Of a deep purplish-red colour, like that of claret.

verb

1. (intransitive, archaic) To drink claret.
   We clareted and champagned till two—then supped, and finished with a kind of regency punch composed of madeira, brandy, and green tea, no real water being admitted therein. There was a night for you! 1814, George Gordon Byron, Baron Byron
   By night, again, we miss the bright cafe, the brilliantly illuminated offices, and the fringe of guests smoking and clareting […] 1869, Andrew Wynter, Subtle Brains and Lissom Fingers