magenta

noun

1. fuchsin.
2. a purplish red.

noun

1. a town in N Italy, W of Milan: the French and Sardinians defeated the Austrians here 1859.

noun

1. 1. a deep purplish red that is the complementary colour of green and, with yellow and cyan, forms a set of primary colours
   2. (as adjective)a magenta filter
2. another name for fuchsin

n.1860, in honor of the Battle of Magenta in Italy, where the French and Sardinians defeated the Austrians in 1859, which advanced the cause of Italian independence and fired the imagination of European liberals. The brilliant crimson aniline dye was discovered shortly after the battle. The town’s name traces back to Roman general and emperor Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (d.312), who supposedly had a headquarters here.