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Webster 1913 Edition

Purple

Pur′ple

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Purples
(#)
.
[OE.
purpre
,
pourpre
, OF.
purpre
,
porpre
,
pourpre
, F.
pourpre
, L.
purpura
purple fish, purple dye, fr. Gr. [GREEK] the purple fish, a shell from the purple dye was obtained, purple dye; cf. [GREEK] dark (said of the sea), purple, [GREEK] 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
.]
1.
A color formed by, or resembling that formed by, a combination of the primary colors red and blue.
Arraying with reflected
purple
and gold
The clouds that on his western throne attend.
Milton.
☞ 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.
2.
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
.
Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and
purple
, and scarlet.
Ex. xxvi. 1.
3.
Hence: Imperial sovereignty; royal rank, dignity, or favor; loosely and colloquially, any exalted station; great wealth.
“He was born in the purple.”
Gibbon.
4.
A cardinalate. See
Cardinal
.
5.
(Zool.)
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
.
6.
(Zool.)
Any shell of the genus
Purpura
.
7.
pl.
(Med.)
See
Purpura
.
8.
pl.
A disease of wheat. Same as
Earcockle
.
☞ 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.
French purple
.
(Chem.)
Same as
Cudbear
.
–
Purple of Cassius
.
See
Cassius
.
–
Purple of mollusca
(Zool.)
,
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.

Pur′ple

,
Adj.
1.
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
.
2.
Imperial; regal; – so called from the color having been an emblem of imperial authority.
Hide in the dust thy
purple
pride.
Shelley.
3.
Blood-red; bloody.
May such
purple
tears be alway shed.
Shakespeare
I view a field of blood,
And Tiber rolling with a
purple
blood.
Dryden.
Purple bird
(Zool.)
,
the European purple gallinule. See under
Gallinule
.
–
Purple copper ore
.
(Min.)
See
Bornite
.
–
Purple grackle
(Zool.)
,
the crow blackbird. See under
Crow
.
–
Purple martin
.
See under
Martin
.
–
Purple sandpiper
.
See under
Sandpiper
.
–
Purple shell
.
See
Ianthina
.

Pur′ple

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Purpled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Purpling
.]
To make purple; to dye of purple or deep red color;
as, hands
purpled
with blood
.
When morn
Purples
the east.
Milton.
Reclining soft in blissful bowers,
Purpled
sweet with springing flowers.
Fenton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Purple

PUR'PLE

,
Adj.
[L. purpureus; purpura, a shell from which the color was obtained.]
1.
Designating a color composed of red and blue blended, much admired, and formerly the roman emperors wore robes of this color.
2.
In poetry, red or livid; dyed with blood.
I view a field of blood,
And Tyber rolling with a purple flood.

PUR'PLE

,
Noun.
A purple color or dress; hence, imperial government in the Roman empire, as a purple robe was the distinguishing dress of the emperors.
1.
A cardinalate.

PUR'PLE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. purpuro.] To make purple, or to dye of a red color; as hands purpled with blood.
When morn
Purples the east.
Reclining soft in blissful bowers,
Purpled sweet with springing flowers.

Definition 2024

Purple

Purple

See also: purple

English

Proper noun

Purple

  1. (rare) A surname​.

purple

purple

See also: Purple

English

Various shades of purple

Noun

purple ‎(plural purples)

  1. A colour/color that is a dark blend of red and blue; dark magenta.
    purple colour:    
    • Milton
      Arraying with reflected purple and gold / The clouds that on his western throne attend.
  2. 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
    • Douay Rheims Bible, Canticles VII. Vs. 5
      Thy head as Carmelus: and the haires of thy head as a Kings purple tyed to cundite pipes.
  3. (by extension) Imperial power, because the colour purple was worn by emperors and kings.
    • Gibbon
      He was born in the purple.
    • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.29:
      The immediate successors of Augustus indulged in appalling cruelties towards senators and towards possible competitors for the purple.
  4. Any of various species of mollusks from which Tyrian purple dye was obtained, especially the common dog whelk.
  5. The purple haze cultivar of cannabis in the kush family, either pure or mixed with others, or by extension any variety of smoked marijuana.
    • 2005, Tipi Paul, Wanna Smoke?: The Adventures of a Storyteller, page 14
      "Sure, some purple Owlsley."
    • 2010, Mark Arax, West of the West, page 221
      “Purple smoke is no joke. Especially when it is real purple. The smell, taste, and high is easily one of the best in the world. One bowl of some purple Kush, and I'm done for a couple of hours.
    • 2011, Danielle Santiago, Allure of the Game, page 148
      She preferred to smoke some good purple, but getting high wasn't an option.
  6. (medicine) purpura
  7. earcockle, a disease of wheat.
  8. Any of the species of large butterflies, usually marked with purple or blue, of the genus Basilarchia (formerly Limenitis).
    the banded purple
  9. A cardinalate.

Translations

Adjective

purple ‎(comparative purpler or more purple, superlative purplest or most purple)

  1. Having a colour/color that is a dark blend of red and blue.
    • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 29686887 , chapter IV:
      So this was my future home, I thought! […] Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
  2. (US politics) Not predominantly red or blue, but having a mixture of Democrat and Republican support, as in purple state, purple city.
    • 2010, Hal K. Rothman, The Making of Modern Nevada, University of Nevada Press, ISBN 978-0-87417-826-5, page 162:
      In the end, Nevada remained the quintessential purple state. On the maps that television used to illustrate political trends, Republican states were red and Democratic blue. Nevada blended the colors. It had a bright blue core in the heart of Las Vegas, surrounded by a purple suburban belt. Most of the rest of the state was bright red, especially in the rural counties.
  3. (in Netherlands and Belgium) Mixed between social democrats and liberals.
  4. Imperial; regal.
  5. Blood-red; bloody.
    • William Shakespeare (c.1564–1616)
      May such purple tears be alway shed.
    • John Dryden (1631-1700)
      I view a field of blood, / And Tiber rolling with a purple blood.
  6. (of language) Extravagantly ornate, like purple prose.

Antonyms

Translations

Verb

purple ‎(third-person singular simple present purples, present participle purpling, simple past and past participle purpled)

  1. (intransitive) To turn purple in colour.
    • 1999, David Edelstein, In Nomine: Corporeal Player's Guide, Steve Jackson Games, ISBN 1-55634-389-2, page 8:
      The gang leader purpled and raised his gun.

Derived terms

See also

Colors in English · colors, colours (layout · text)
     red      green      yellow      cream      white
     crimson      magenta      teal      lime      pink
     indigo      blue      orange      gray, grey      violet
     black      purple      brown      azure, sky blue      cyan

Etymology

From Middle English purpel, purpur, from Old English purple, purpure ‎(“purple”), from Latin purpura ‎(“purple dye, shellfish”), from Ancient Greek πορφύρα ‎(porphúra, “purple fish”), of Semitic origin.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈpɜː(ɹ).pəl/
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)pəl

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