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sanguine

Sanguine is an adjective with several related senses. It can refer to blood or blood-related matter; to a reddish color; and to a mood or temperament marked by optimism or confidence.

Etymology and usage: The word comes from Latin sanguineus, meaning “of blood,” derived from sanguis, blood, and

Historical context: In ancient and medieval humoral theory, the sanguine temperament was associated with an excess

Modern usage: In everyday language, sanguine often means hopeful or confident about the future, as in a

entered
English
through
Old
French.
In
addition
to
medical
or
anatomical
contexts,
sanguine
has
long
been
used
in
literary
and
artistic
descriptions
of
color
and
disposition.
of
blood
and
characterized
by
sociability,
enthusiasm,
and
spontaneity.
It
was
one
of
four
temperaments,
alongside
choleric,
melancholic,
and
phlegmatic.
Although
the
theory
is
obsolete
in
modern
science,
the
term
persists
in
discussions
of
personality
or
mood.
sanguine
outlook.
In
medical
writing,
sanguineous
(or
sanguine)
describes
anything
pertaining
to
blood
or
containing
blood,
such
as
sanguineous
drainage.
In
color
terminology,
sanguine
denotes
a
reddish
or
rose-colored
hue,
evocative
of
blood.