Prussian

[ pruhsh-uh n ]

/ ˈprʌʃ ən /

adjective

of or relating to Prussia or its inhabitants.

characterized by, exemplifying, or resembling Prussianism.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Prussia.

(originally) one of a Lettic people formerly inhabiting territory along and near the coast at the southeastern corner of the Baltic Sea.

a Baltic language formerly spoken in Prussia; Old Prussian. Abbreviation: Pruss

Origin of Prussian

First recorded in 1555–65; Prussi(a) + -an

Related formsnon-Prus·sian, noun, adjectivepro-Prus·sian, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for prussian

The whole purpose was to create this idea that there was this Prussian juggernaut.
How The Cold War Endgame Played Out In The Rubble Of The Berlin Wall|William O’Connor|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Supposedly, he and his troops drank it after defeating the Prussian army in 1809.
Wine Snobs, There’s a Beer for You|Jordan Salcito|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Prussian militarism was unlovely, to be sure, but the Kaiser was no Führer.
The Utterly Pointless First World War|Michael F. Bishop|May 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They contained photographs and portraits of all the military leaders of the Prussian state from the Soldier King to Hitler.
The Real Monuments Men: The Coronation Chamber of Hitler|Robert Edsel|February 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I hope your Prussian General will answer the high character which is given of him.
Familiar Letters of John Adams and His Wife Abigail Adams During the Revolution|John Adams
English, French, Prussian, Hamburg and other flags were displayed at her summons upon the passing merchant vessels.
Cruise and Captures of the Alabama|Albert M. Goodrich
When he had finished his story, he suddenly lifted his head and glanced proudly at the Prussian officers.
A Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales|Guy De Maupassant
But the German empire has been re-established under a Prussian emperor.
Catholic World, Vol. XIII, April to September, 1871|Various
It was absurd to suppose that any Prussian statesman would allow this.
Bismarck and the Foundation of the German Empire|James Wycliffe Headlam

British Dictionary definitions for prussian

Prussian

/ (ˈprʌʃən) /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Prussia or its people, esp of the Junkers and their formal military tradition

noun

a German native or inhabitant of Prussia

a member of a Baltic people formerly inhabiting the coastal area of the SE Baltic

See Old Prussian

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 prussian

Prussian

1550s (n.), 1560s (adj.), from Prussia + -an. Prussian blue pigment (1724) came to English from French bleu de Prusse, so called for being discovered in Berlin, the Prussian capital.

All in all, it seems that Prussian blue was synthesised for the first time around 1706 by the Swiss immigrant Johann Jacob Diesbach in Berlin. [Jens Bartoll and Bärbel Jackisch, "Prussian Blue: A Chronology of the Early Years," "Zeitschrift für Kunsttechnologie und Konservierung" 24, No. 1, 2010]

Early German sources refer to it as Preußisches Ultra-Marin and berliner blau. Prussic acid (1790), is from French acide prussique, so called in reference to prussian blue pigment, to which it is chemically related.