red carpet: Meaning and Definition of

red' car'pet

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a red strip of carpet placed on the ground for high-ranking dignitaries to walk on when entering or leaving a building, vehicle, or the like.
  2. a display of courtesy or deference, as that shown to persons of high station: The visiting princess was treated to the red carpet in Rome.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.