purple
UK /ˈpɜː.pl̩/ · US /ˈpɝ.pl̩/ noun, adjective, verb, proper noun
Forms purples purpler purplest purpling purpled
- noun A colour between red and blue; violet, though often closer to magenta.
- noun (colour theory) Any non-spectral colour on the line of purples on a colour chromaticity diagram or a colour wheel between violet and red.
- noun Cloth, or a garment, dyed a purple colour; especially, a purple robe, worn as an emblem of rank or authority; specifically, the purple robe or mantle worn by Ancient Roman emperors as the emblem of imperial dignity. “to put on the imperial purple”
- noun (by extension) Imperial power.
- noun Any of various species of mollusks from which Tyrian purple dye was obtained, especially the common dog whelk.
- noun The purple haze cultivar of cannabis in the kush family, either pure or mixed with others, or by extension any variety of smoked marijuana.
- noun (medicine) Purpura.
- noun Earcockle, a disease of wheat.
- adjective Of a purple hue.
- adjective (US politics) Not predominantly red or blue, but having a mixture of Democrat and Republican support. “purple state”
- adjective (Belgium, Netherlands) Mixed between social democrats and liberals.
- adjective Imperial; regal.
- adjective Blood-red; bloody.
- adjective (literature) Of language, extravagantly ornate, like purple prose.
- adjective (motor racing) Of a sector, lap, etc., completed in the fastest time so far in a given session.
- verb (intransitive) To turn purple in colour.
- verb (transitive) To dye purple.
- verb (transitive) To clothe in purple.
- proper noun (rare) A surname from Middle English.
Synonyms
blue-red snakebite and black purpureal flowery overwrought purpleness empurple purpurate violet purplish empurpled over-embellished imperial majestic regal royal
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English purple, purpel, from Old English purpul (“purple”, adjective), taken from Old English purpure (“purple colour”, noun), from Latin purpura (“purple dye, shellfish”), from Ancient Greek πορφύρα (porphúra, “purple-fish”), perhaps of Semitic origin. Doublet of purpura and purpure.
The sense of "imperial power" is from the wearing of the color purple by emperors and kings.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A color formed by, or resembling that formed by, a combination of the primary colors red and blue.
- noun 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.
- adjective 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.
- adjective Imperial; regal; --so called from the color having been an emblem of imperial authority.
Etymology [OE. purpre, pourpre, OF. purpre, porpre, pourpre, F. pourpre, L. purpura purple fish, purple dye, fr. Gr. furere to rage, E. fury: cf. AS. purpure. Cf. Porphyry, Purpure.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “purple”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details