haint blue

American  

[heynt bloo] / ˈheɪnt ˈblu /

noun

1. any of several light shades of blue, and traditionally a color of choice for porch ceilings in the southeastern United States.

   I’m looking for a haint blue with the slightest bit of lavender in it.

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Etymology

Origin of haint blue

First recorded in 2000–05; regional pronunciation of the noun haunt “ghost”; such a color supposedly prevents ghosts from entering the structure

Example Sentences

It shimmered in the moonlight, turning all shades of blue, from indigo to haint blue and back again.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

I had a hair ribbon that was haint blue, but Mama only let me wear it on the Sundays we went to church.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

To keep them from coming inside, you painted the house haint blue, or you laid a broom across the entrance to the house.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

“Do we have anything with a lot of haint blue on it?”

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

The plants had grown in the windows, and one of the black cats had had a litter, and the wallpaper had changed from slate gray to haint blue.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton