purple

American  

[pur-puhl] / ˈpɜr pəl /

noun

1. any color having components of both red and blue, such as lavender, especially one deep in tone.

2. cloth or clothing of this hue, especially as formerly worn distinctively by persons of imperial, royal, or other high rank.

3. the rank or office of a cardinal.

4. the office of a bishop.

5. imperial, regal, or princely rank or position.

6. deep red; crimson.

7. any of several nymphalid butterflies, as Basilarchia astyanax red-spotted purple, having blackish wings spotted with red, or Basilarchia arthemis banded purple, or white admiral, having brown wings banded with white.

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adjective

purpler, purplest

1. of the color purple.

2. imperial, regal, or princely.

3. brilliant or showy.

4. full of exaggerated literary devices and effects; marked by excessively ornate rhetoric.

   a purple passage in a novel.

5. profane or shocking, as language.

6. relating to or noting political or ideological diversity.

   purple politics; ideologically purple areas of the country.

verb (used with or without object)

purpled, purpling

1. to make or become purple.

idioms

1. born in / to the purple, of royal or exalted birth.

   Those born to the purple are destined to live in the public eye.

purple British  

/ ˈpɜːpəl /

noun

1. any of various colours with a hue lying between red and blue and often highly saturated; a nonspectral colour

2. a dye or pigment producing such a colour

3. cloth of this colour, often used to symbolize royalty or nobility

4. high rank; nobility

5. 1. the official robe of a cardinal

   2. the rank, office, or authority of a cardinal as signified by this

6. bishops collectively

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adjective

1. of the colour purple

2. (of writing) excessively elaborate or full of imagery

   purple prose

3. noble or royal

Other Word Forms

• purpleness noun
• purplish adjective
• purply adjective

Etymology

Origin of purple

First recorded before 1000; Middle English purpel (noun and adjective), Old English purple (adjective), variant of purpure, from Latin purpura “kind of shellfish yielding purple dye, the dye, cloth so dyed,” from Greek porphýra; purpure, porphyry

Example Sentences

She gestures at a dish of purple something.

From Literature

I take it, and can’t help but notice how the deep purple crescent shapes that my nails cut into the soft flesh of my palms smile obscenely at me.

From Literature

Clare looked down at the tail clutched to his chest: It was a shimmering gray, nearly purple, like the color of the sky when it snowed.

From Literature

Dion also recorded a French version of the video message announcing the tour, which was played over loudspeakers as the Tower was illuminated by purple lights.

From BBC

The Gold Lion product is sold in purple packaging.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• color
• lavender
• lilac
• mauve
• periwinkle
• plum
• violet