scarlet letter

SEE SYNONYMS FOR scarlet letter ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a scarlet letter “A,” formerly worn by one convicted of adultery.

Origin of scarlet letter

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Words nearby scarlet letter

scarlet eggplant, scarlet fever, scarlet fever antitoxin, scarlet firethorn, scarlet gilia, scarlet letter, scarlet letter, the, scarlet lightning, scarlet lychnis, scarlet monkey flower, scarlet pimpernel

Definition for scarlet letter (2 of 2)

Scarlet Letter, The

noun

a novel (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Example sentences from the Web for scarlet letter

British Dictionary definitions for scarlet letter

scarlet letter

noun

(esp among US Puritans) a scarlet letter A formerly worn by a person convicted of adultery