cerulean
Americanadjective
-
deep blue; sky blue; azure.
-
Heraldry. a sky-blue tincture, used especially on the Continent.
noun
Etymology
Origin of cerulean
1660–70; < Latin caerule ( us ) dark blue, azure (akin to caelum sky) + -an
Explanation
Something that's cerulean is colored a clear, deep blue. On a sunny summer day, the sky is often cerulean, with just a few puffy white clouds. Your cerulean sweater might be your favorite, since you believe it makes your eyes look cerulean as well. Tropical beaches can claim to have white sand and cerulean water, and a bright October morning often comes with a cerulean sky. The word has been around since the 17th century, from the Latin caeruleus, "dark blue," with the root caelum, "heaven" or "sky."
Vocabulary lists containing cerulean
Blue
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David Bowie (1947-2016) Tribute List
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Internment
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"He's tiny! It's blue!" one excited scientist was recorded as saying when she first caught sight of the cerulean cephalopod on footage transmitted from the sub.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
But after Miranda’s legendary cerulean monologue, Andy realizes that fashion is more than just stick-thin models and clothes that cost more than your rent.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2025
Miranda Priestly, along with her anti-bacterial wipes and excellent taste in cerulean sweaters, will once again be portrayed by Hollywood royalty Meryl Streep.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
On the right side wall, an image of twin rebar pillars jutting up toward a brilliant cerulean sky is interrupted by the trace of hardly discernible letters and numbers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025
The sky’s gone blue: azure, the ocean bluer: cerulean, the trees are swirls of every hella freaking green on earth and bright thick eggy yellow is spilling over everything.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
