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perse

[purs]
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adjective
  1. of a very deep shade of blue or purple.
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Origin of perse

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

St.-John Perse

[sin-juh n purs]
noun
  1. Alexis Saint-Léger Léger, 1887–1975, French diplomat and poet: Nobel Prize in literature 1960.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for perse

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

Examples from the Web for perse

Historical Examples of perse

  • Circe was the daughter of Sol and Perse, and was celebrated for her skill in magic.

    Human Animals

    Frank Hamel

  • Circe was the daughter of Helios (the Sun) by the ocean-nymph Perse.

    Milton's Comus

    John Milton

  • It is less than two hundred feet from the gate to Perse's doorsteps.

    Truxton King

    George Barr McCutcheon

  • The Duke of Perse was lying back in the seat, his face like that of a dead man.

    Truxton King

    George Barr McCutcheon

  • The Duke of Perse realised this when he compelled his daughter to accept him as her husband.

    Truxton King

    George Barr McCutcheon

British Dictionary definitions for perse

perse

noun
    1. a dark greyish-blue colour
    2. (as adjective)perse cloth
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Word Origin for perse

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

Perse

noun
  1. 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
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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

Word Origin and History for perse

adj.

late 14c., "blue, bluish-gray," later "purplish-black," from Old French pers "(dark) blue, livid; wan, pale," from Late Latin persus, perhaps a back-formation from one of the early European forms of Persia.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper