Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wine-dark

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.56 in modern English

Syllables: wine--dark
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Resembling the dark color (or perhaps other properties) of red wine.

Literary

adj

Resembling the dark color (or perhaps other properties) of red wine.

Literary

noun

A specific color among several that represent red wine.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: vinous, vinaceous, wine-blue, winelike"
"He had that type of countenance which dim tradition was already beginning to assign to the Son of Man—the perfectly oval face, the waved and wine-dark hair, the glowing complexion, the eyes whose depths seemed to be lighted by some holy spiritual flame within—of Him who had been fairer than the children of men."
"The Trojan War was probably real enough, but the myths of Aeneas crossing the wine-dark Mediterranean to lay the foundations of the Roman Empire in Italy, and Brutus's subsequent journey to fill Britain with descendants of the Trojans, are myths."

Etymology

The traditional translation/calque of Ancient Greek οἶνοψ (oînops, “with the appearance of wine”), equivalent to wine + dark.

Usage

Inflected Forms

winedark (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

wine-blue vinaceous

Synonyms

vinous vinaceous wine-blue winelike

Questions

What does wine-dark mean?: Resembling the dark color (or perhaps other properties) of red wine.
Where does wine-dark come from?: The traditional translation/calque of Ancient Greek οἶνοψ (oînops, “with the appearance of wine”), equivalent to wine + dark.

How to pronounce wine-dark

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “wine-dark”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “wine-dark” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.