Purple

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: pur=ple

CIDE DICTIONARY

Purple, n. [OE. purpre, pourpre, OF. purpre, porpre, pourpre, F. pourpre, L. purpura purple fish, purple dye, fr. Gr. the purple fish, a shell from the purple dye was obtained, purple dye; cf. dark (said of the sea), purple, to grow dark (said of the sea), to be troubled; perh. akin to L. furere to rage, E. fury: cf. AS. purpure. Cf. Porphyry, Purpure.].

•  A color formed by, or resembling that formed by, a combination of the primary colors red and blue.  [1913 Webster]

  " The ancient words which are translated purple are supposed to have been used for the color we call crimson. In the gradations of color as defined in art, purple is a mixture of red and blue. When red predominates it is called violet, and when blue predominates, hyacinth."  [1913 Webster]

  "Arraying with reflected purple and gold
  The clouds that on his western throne attend."  [1913 Webster]
•  Cloth dyed a purple color, or a garment of such color; especially, a purple robe, worn as an emblem of rank or authority; specifically, the purple rode or mantle worn by Roman emperors as the emblem of imperial dignity; as, to put on the imperial purple.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and purple, and scarlet."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence: Imperial sovereignty; royal rank, dignity, or favor; loosely and colloquially, any exalted station; great wealth.  Gibbon.  [1913 Webster]
•  A cardinalate. See Cardinal.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any species of large butterflies, usually marked with purple or blue, of the genus Basilarchia (formerly Limenitis) as, the banded purple (Basilarchia arthemis). See Illust. under Ursula.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any shell of the genus Purpura.  [1913 Webster]
•  See Purpura.  [1913 Webster]
•  A disease of wheat. Same as Earcockle.  [1913 Webster]

  " Purple is sometimes used in composition, esp. with participles forming words of obvious signification; as, purple-colored, purple-hued, purple-stained, purple-tinged, purple-tinted, and the like."  [1913 Webster]

French purple. (Chem.) Same as Cudbear. -- Purple of Cassius. See Cassius. -- Purple of mollusca (Zoöl.), a coloring matter derived from certain mollusks, which dyes wool, etc., of a purple or crimson color, and is supposed to be the substance of the famous Tyrian dye. It is obtained from Ianthina, and from several species of Purpura, and Murex. -- To be born in the purple, to be of princely birth; to be highborn.

Purple, a. 

•  Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as, a purple robe.  [1913 Webster]
•  Imperial; regal; -- so called from the color having been an emblem of imperial authority.  [1913 Webster]

  "Hide in the dust thy purple pride."  [1913 Webster]
•  Blood-red; bloody.  [1913 Webster]

  "May such purple tears be alway shed."  [1913 Webster]

  "I view a field of blood,
  And Tiber rolling with a purple blood."  [1913 Webster]

Purple bird (Zoöl.), the European purple gallinule. See under Gallinule. -- Purple copper ore. (Min.) See Bornite. -- Purple grackle (Zoöl.), the crow blackbird. See under Crow. -- Purple martin. See under Martin. -- Purple sandpiper. See under Sandpiper. -- Purple shell. See Ianthina.

Purple, v. t. 

 To make purple; to dye of purple or deep red color; as, hands purpled with blood.  [1913 Webster]
"When morn
Purples the east."  [1913 Webster]
"Reclining soft in blissful bowers,
Purpled sweet with springing flowers."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Purple, n., adj., & v.
--n.
1 a colour intermediate between red and blue.
2 (in full Tyrian purple) a crimson dye obtained from some molluscs.
3 a purple robe, esp. as the dress of an emperor or senior magistrate.
4 the scarlet official dress of a cardinal.
5 (prec. by the) a position of rank, authority, or privilege.
--adj. of a purple colour.
--v.tr. & intr. make or become purple.

Idiom

born in the purple
1 born into a reigning family.
2 belonging to the most privileged class. purple emperor a large butterfly, Apatura iris, with purple wings. purple heart Brit. colloq. a heart-shaped stimulant tablet, esp. of amphetamine. Purple Heart (in the US) a decoration for those wounded in action.
purple passage (or patch)
1 an ornate or elaborate passage in a literary composition.
2 Austral. colloq. a piece of luck or success.

Derivative

purpleness n. purplish adj. purply adj.

Etymology

OE alt. f. purpure purpuran f. L purpura (as PURPURA)

THESAURUS

Purple

Mars violet, Tyrian purple, adorned, amethyst, amethystine, befrilled, blue, bombastic, broad, cap of dignity, cap of maintenance, clematis, colored, coronet, crown, dahlia, damson, decorated, diadem, dynastic, embellished, embroidered, ermine, fancy, festooned, figurative, figured, florid, flowery, fuchsia, grape, great seal, heliotrope, high-flown, hyacinth, imperatorial, imperatorious, imperial, imperial purple, imperious, kinglike, kingly, lavender, lilac, livid, lividity, lividness, lush, luxuriant, magenta, majestic, mallow, mauve, monarchal, monarchial, monarchic, monsignor, mulberry, off-color, orb, orchid, ornate, overblown, overcharged, overloaded, pansy, pansy violet, pansy-purple, plum, plum-colored, plum-purple, pompous, pontiff purple, princelike, princely, privy seal, purple pall, purpleness, purplescent, purpliness, purplish, purplishness, purply, purpurate, purpure, purpureal, purpurean, purpureous, queenlike, queenly, racy, raisin-colored, regal, regal purple, regalia, robe of state, rod, rod of empire, royal, royal crown, royal purple, salty, scepter, seal, shady, signet, solferino, sovereign, spicy, stilted, suggestive, tiara, triple plume, turgid, uraeus, violaceous, violet, wicked, wine purple

ROGET THESAURUS

Purple

Scepter

N scepter, regalia, caduceus, Mercury's rod, Mercury's staff, Mercury's wand, rod of empire, mace, fasces, wand, staff, staff of office, baton, truncheon, flag, ensign of authority, emblem of authority, badge of authority, insignia of authority, throne, chair, musnud, divan, dais, woolsack, toga, pall, mantle, robes of state, ermine, purple, crown, coronet, diadem, tiara, cap of maintenance, decoration, title, portfolio, key, signet, seals, talisman, helm, reins.

Redness

N redness, red, scarlet, vermilion, carmine, crimson, pink, lake, maroon, carnation, couleur de rose, rose du Barry, magenta, damask, purple, flesh color, flesh tint, color, fresh color, high color, warmth, gules, ruby, carbuncle, rose, rust, iron mold, cinnabar, cochineal, fuchsine, ruddle, madder, Indian red, light red, Venetian red, red ink, annotto, annatto, realgar, minium, red lead, redness, rubescence, rubicundity, rubification, erubescence, blush, red, reddish, rufous, ruddy, florid, incarnadine, sanguine, rosy, roseate, blowzy, blowed, burnt, rubicund, rubiform, lurid, stammell blood red, russet buff, murrey, carroty, sorrel, lateritious, rubineous, rubricate, rubricose, rufulous, rose-colored, ruby-colored, cherry-colored, claret-colored, flame- colored, flesh-colored, peach-colored, salmon-colored, brick-colored, brick-colored, dust-colored, blushing, erubescent, reddened, red as fire, red as blood, red as scarlet, red as a turkey cock, red as a lobster, warm, hot, foxy.

Purple

N purple, blue and red, bishop's purple, aniline dyes, gridelin, amethyst, purpure, heliotrope, lividness, lividity, purple, violet, ultraviolet, plum-colored, lavender, lilac, puce, mauve, livid, purple, blue and red, bishop's purple, aniline dyes, gridelin, amethyst, purpure, heliotrope, lividness, lividity, purple, violet, ultraviolet, plum-colored, lavender, lilac, puce, mauve, livid.