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claret

 - 4 dictionary results

clar⋅et

  [klar-it]
Use claret in a Sentence
–noun
1. the red table wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France: originally it was light red or yellowish.
2. a similar wine made elsewhere.
3. Also called claret red. a deep purplish red.
4. Slang. blood.
–adjective
5. deep purplish-red.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < AF, MF claret, cleret, alter., by suffix substitution, of OF claré wine mixed with honey and herbs or spices < ML clarātum, equiv. to L clār(us) clear + -ātus -ate 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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clar·et   (klār'ĭt)   
n.  

    1. A dry red wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France.

    2. A similar wine made elsewhere.

  2. A dark or grayish purplish red to dark purplish pink.


[Middle English, light-colored wine, from Old French (vin) claret, diminutive of clair, clear, from Latin clārus; see clear.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

claret 
1398, "light-colored wine," from O.Fr. (vin) claret "clear (wine), light-colored red wine," from L. clarus "clear." Meaning "red wine of Bordeaux" first attested 1700.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

claret

any of numerous wines of the region surrounding the city of Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux has a long history in wine culture; like Burgundy and the Rhine region, it was known in Roman times. During the English occupation of Bordeaux, a charter was granted, first by Richard I and second by John in 1199, to the still-functioning jurade, a controlling body dating originally from the 12th century, which in its ceremonies still observes its medieval ritual and uses its traditional robes of the St. Emilion district for the supervision of wine making. Claret meant in those days a pale wine made by mixing reds and whites; the word claret is not used in modern French

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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