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• Purple Heart
  Purple Heart

  noun

  a medal awarded for wounds received in action against an enemy or as a direct result of an act of the enemy.
• purple heart
  purple heart

  noun

  any of several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus Peltogyne

Purple Heart

American  

noun

U.S. Armed Forces.

1. a medal awarded for wounds received in action against an enemy or as a direct result of an act of the enemy.

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purple heart ¹ British  

noun

1. any of several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus Peltogyne

2. the decorative purple heartwood of any of these trees

3. informal a heart-shaped purple tablet consisting mainly of amphetamine

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Purple Heart ² British  

noun

1. a decoration awarded to members of the US Armed Forces for a wound incurred in action

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Etymology

Origin of Purple Heart

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35

Related Words

• badge
• ribbon