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  • Purple Heart
    Purple Heart
    noun
    a medal awarded for wounds received in action against an enemy or as a direct result of an act of the enemy.
  • purple heart
    purple heart
    noun
    any of several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus Peltogyne
Synonyms

Purple Heart

American  

noun

U.S. Armed Forces.

  1. a medal awarded for wounds received in action against an enemy or as a direct result of an act of the enemy.

purple heart 1 British  

noun

  1. any of several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus Peltogyne

  2. the decorative purple heartwood of any of these trees

  3. informal a heart-shaped purple tablet consisting mainly of amphetamine

"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
Purple Heart 2 British  

noun

  1. a decoration awarded to members of the US Armed Forces for a wound incurred in action

"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

Etymology

Origin of Purple Heart

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As a marine, Mueller earned a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart for wounds received in combat.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

He gave out two Medals of Honor, a Purple Heart and a Presidential Medal of Freedom during his speech.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 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

“We’ll put you in for a Purple Heart on that one, Malter.”

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

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.