blue moon
a second full moon in a month, occurring every two to three years as a result of the discrepancy between a lunar year and a solar year.
(formerly) the third full moon in a season with four full moons instead of the usual three.
a long, indeterminate stretch of time, as between occurrences of a rare event or phenomenon.
an uncommon phenomenon in which the moon appears to have a blue tinge because of the filtering effect of smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere.
a very long period of time: Such a chance comes once in a blue moon.
Origin of blue moon
1Words Nearby blue moon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use blue moon in a sentence
I go back and forth between feeling like, “This is happening all around us,” versus, “This happens once in a blue moon.”
The Math That Says Egalitarianism Is Possible - Issue 104: Harmony | Brian Gallagher | August 11, 2021 | NautilusA gorgeous, glistening rendition of “Lost Cause” came next, and the airy Morning Phase standout “blue moon” ended the sequence.
Beck’s Musical Time Machine: This Wasn’t a Concert. It was a Spectacular Party. | Andrew Romano | April 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTblue moon has some really nice orange zest and coriander flavors that finish with a wonderful smoothness.
The “dark” fruit that seemed to work best with blue moon was blueberries.
He was the guy who came along once in a blue moon to save the country.
As a brand, blue moon beer is not unlike Blue Dog Democrats, walking the tightrope of competing identities.
But conductors are no more infallible than other people, and once in a blue moon in going through a train they miss a passenger.
The Wreckers | Francis Lynde"A purple sea, a blue moon, and a red fish—it looks crazy to me," muttered the old agent.
Through the Wall | Cleveland MoffettHe was seated beside the great, wood-burning stove in the great front room of the blue moon.
Red Dynamite | Roy J. SnellWhen they gathered in the back room of the blue moon, the players found a blackboard hung upon the wall.
Red Dynamite | Roy J. SnellAnd a mighty horde in trucks, busses, and private cars, some even on bicycles was pouring toward the blue moon at sunset.
Red Dynamite | Roy J. Snell
British Dictionary definitions for blue moon
the second full moon occurring within a calendar month
once in a blue moon informal very rarely; almost never
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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