blue

[bloo]

noun

1. the pure color of a clear sky; the primary color between green and violet in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 450 and 500 nanometers.

   Synonyms: sapphire, cerulean, azure

2. bluing.

3. something having a blue color.

   Place the blue next to the red.

4. a person who wears blue or is a member of a group characterized by some blue symbol.

   Tomorrow the blues will play the browns.

5. (often initial capital letter),  a member of the Union army in the American Civil War or the army itself.

6. bluestocking.

7. blue ribbon.

8. any of several blue-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.

9. Printing.,  blueline.

10. the blue,

    1. the sky.

    2. the sea.

    3. the remote distance.

       They've vanished into the blue somewhere.

adjective

bluer, bluest 

1. of the color of blue.

   a blue tie.

2. (initial capital letter),  of or relating to the Union army in the American Civil War.

3. (of the skin) discolored by cold, contusion, fear, or vascular collapse.

4. depressed in spirits; dejected; melancholy.

   She felt blue about not being chosen for the team.

   Synonyms: downcast, glum, sad, dispirited, doleful, morose, unhappy, despondent
   Antonyms: happy

5. holding or offering little hope; dismal; bleak.

   a blue outlook.

   Synonyms: gloomy

6. characterized by or stemming from rigid morals or religion.

   statutes that were blue and unrealistic.

   Synonyms: strait-laced, puritanical, righteous

7. marked by blasphemy.

   The air was blue with oaths.

8. (of an animal's pelage) grayish-blue.

9. indecent; somewhat obscene; risqué.

   a blue joke or film.

10. Politics.

    1. relating to, supporting, or belonging to the Democratic Party in the United States; Democratic.

       The county effectively turned blue, with all 38 district judges elected being Democrats.

    2. British.,  politically conservative.

verb (used with object)

blued, bluing, blueing. 

1. to make blue; dye a blue color.

2. to tinge with bluing.

   Don't blue your clothes till the second rinse.

verb (used without object)

blued, bluing, blueing. 

1. to become or turn blue.

blue

¹

/ bluː /

noun

1. any of a group of colours, such as that of a clear unclouded sky, that have wavelengths in the range 490–445 nanometres. Blue is the complementary colour of yellow and with red and green forms a set of primary colours

2. a dye or pigment of any of these colours

3. blue cloth or clothing

   dressed in blue

4. 1. a sportsperson who represents or has represented Oxford or Cambridge University and has the right to wear the university colour (dark blue for Oxford, light blue for Cambridge)

      an Oxford blue

   2. the honour of so representing one's university

5. an informal name for Tory

6. any of numerous small blue-winged butterflies of the genera Lampides, Polyommatus , etc: family Lycaenidae

7. archaic,  short for bluestocking

8. slang,  a policeman

9. archery a blue ring on a target, between the red and the black, scoring five points

10. a blue ball in snooker, etc

11. another name for blueing

12. slang,  an argument or fight

    he had a blue with a taxi driver

13. Also: bluey. slang,  a court summons, esp for a traffic offence

14. informal,  a mistake; error

15. apparently from nowhere; unexpectedly

    the opportunity came out of the blue

16. into the unknown or the far distance

adjective

1. of the colour blue

2. (of the flesh) having a purple tinge, as from cold or contusion

3. depressed, moody, or unhappy

4. dismal or depressing

   a blue day

5. indecent, titillating, or pornographic

   blue films

6. bluish in colour or having parts or marks that are bluish

   a blue fox

   a blue whale

7. rare,  aristocratic; noble; patrician See blue blood

   a blue family

8. relating to, supporting, or representing the Democratic Party Compare red 1

verb

1. to make, dye, or become blue

2. (tr) to treat (laundry) with blueing

3. slang,  (tr) to spend extravagantly or wastefully; squander

Blue

²

/ bluː /

noun

1. informal,  a nickname for a person with red hair

Other Word Forms

• bluely adverb
• blueness noun
• half-blue adjective
• unblued adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blue¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English blewe, from Anglo-French blew, bl(i)u, bl(i)ef “blue, livid, discolored,” Old French blo, blau ( French bleu ), from unattested Germanic blǣwaz; compare Old English blǣwen, contraction of blǣhǣwen “deep blue, perse,” Old Frisian blāw, Middle Dutch blā(u), Old High German blāo ( German blau ), Old Norse blār

Word History and Origins

Origin of blue¹

C13: from Old French bleu , of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse blār , Old High German blāo , Middle Dutch blā ; related to Latin flāvus yellow

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. out of the blue, suddenly and unexpectedly.

   The inheritance came out of the blue as a stroke of good fortune.

2. blue in the face, exhausted and speechless, as from excessive anger, physical strain, etc..

   I reminded him about it till I was blue in the face.

More idioms and phrases containing blue

• between a rock and a hard place (devil and deep blue sea)
• black and blue
• bolt from the blue
• have the blues
• into thin air (the blue)
• like greased lightning (a blue streak)
• once in a blue moon
• out of a clear blue sky
• talk one's arm off (a blue streak
• until blue in the face)

Example Sentences

As afternoon turned to evening Tuesday, the blue skies over the city gave way to clouds and drizzle.

From Los Angeles Times

On a Tuesday morning, with weather conditions declared favourable, Mr Fall readies his wooden canoe painted with patterns of red, blue, yellow and other colours.

From BBC

She telephoned famous anthropologist Louis Leakey out of the blue just hoping for some advice.

From Salon

Education Secretary Phillipson and former Commons Leader Powell both wore dark blue dresses as they sat to one side of the giant stage, with a large podium standing empty in the middle.

From BBC

“There’s no Republican or Democratic thermometer — red and blue state alike, and countries around the world, are facing this climate-fueled insurance crisis. And California is taking action,” Newsom said in a statement accompanying his order.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blue-green