definitions

perse

[ purs ]
/ pɜrs /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perse ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of a very deep shade of blue or purple.

RELATED WORDS

color, mauve, plum, lilac, lavender, periwinkle, violet, heliotrope, pomegranate, mulberry, amethyst, magenta, wine, orchid, amaranthine, violaceous

Nearby words

perry, perrysburg, pers, pers., persalt, perse, persecute, persecution, persecution complex, persecutory, perseid

Origin of perse

1325–75; Middle English pers < Medieval Latin persus, perhaps variant of perseus kind of blue, itself alteration of Latin Persicus Persian

Definition for perse (2 of 2)

St.-John Perse

[ sin-juh n purs ]
/ ˈsɪn dʒən ˈpɜrs /

noun

Alexis Saint-Léger Léger, 1887–1975, French diplomat and poet: Nobel Prize in literature 1960.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perse

British Dictionary definitions for perse (1 of 2)

perse

/ (pɜːs) /

noun

  1. a dark greyish-blue colour
  2. (as adjective)perse cloth

Word Origin for perse

C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, perhaps changed from Latin Persicus Persian

British Dictionary definitions for perse (2 of 2)

Perse

/ (pɜːs, French pɛrs) /

noun

Saint-John (ˈsɪndʒən), real name Alexis Saint-Léger . 1887–1975, French poet, born in Guadeloupe. His works include Anabase (1922) and Chronique (1960). Nobel prize for literature 1960
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