any of several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus Peltogyne
the decorative purple heartwood of any of these trees
informal a heart-shaped purple tablet consisting mainly of amphetamine
An Americanism dating back to 1930–35
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Army combat veteran and a Purple Heart recipient.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
On the wall in my den are my father’s medals: a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star from when the United States sent my father, Marcelo Villanueva, and others like him, to fight Adolf Hitler.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
Army and Navy veteran awarded a Purple Heart, Stern founded Grey Bull in 2021, leading private evacuation missions in war zones from Afghanistan to Gaza.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
A company called Purple Heart reportedly acted an an intermediary in the transfer.
From Barron's • Nov. 24, 2025
They were pinned with Purple Heart medals for their wounds received in action.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
