perse
[ purs ]
/ pɜrs /
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
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.
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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
- a dark greyish-blue colour
- (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
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Word Origin and History for perse
perse
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper