puce

[ pyoos ]

/ pyus /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: puce / puces on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of a dark or brownish purple.

noun

a dark or brownish purple.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of puce

1780–90; <French: literally, flea <Latin pūlic-, stem of pūlex

Words nearby puce

Pucallpa, púcán, Puccini, Puccini, Giacomo, puccoon, puce, pucellas, puck, pucka, puck-carrier, puck control

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use puce in a sentence

It was hard, at this stage, not to feel sorry for the man, not to wince each time the camera panned to his puce-complexioned face.
Why I Feel Tony Hayward's Pain|Tunku Varadarajan|June 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Madame Bauche was dressed in a new puce silk dress, and looked very magnificent on the occasion.
La Mere Bauche|Anthony Trollope
Another dress, composed of deep violet or puce-color silk, has the flounces edged also with rows of black velvet.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine Vol. IV, No. 19, Dec 1851|Various
Apparently the geranium red costume is Sunday only, the week-day is this maroon, or puce, or madder-brown.
Sea and Sardinia|D. H. Lawrence

She wore a puce silk paletot, and a brown hat trimmed with black lace; an unbecoming costume for one so tall.
Trevlyn Hold|Mrs. Henry Wood
Puce colour is communicated by logwood with a little alum; which may be modified by the addition of a little Brazil wood.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure

British Dictionary definitions for puce

puce

/ (pjuːs) /

noun

a colour varying from deep red to dark purplish-brown
(as adjective)a puce carpet

Word Origin for puce

C18: shortened from French couleur puce flea colour, from Latin pūlex flea

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

puce

Origin of puce

Words nearby puce

Words related to puce

How to use puce in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for puce

Word Origin for puce