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purple
purple originally, a crimson dye obtained from some molluscs, formerly used for fabric worn by an emperor or senior magistrate in ancient Rome or Byzantium; in figurative use, imperial, royal. In later use, purple came to be used for a colour intermediate between red and blue.
Purple as a colour has symbolic connotations of penitence and mourning, especially as an ecclesiastical colour; in literary and poetic use, it may refer to the colour of blood. Recorded from Old English (describing the clothing of an emperor) the word comes via Latin purpura ‘purple’ from Greek porphura, denoting molluscs that yielded a crimson dye, or cloth dyed with this. Purple Heart in the US, a decoration for those wounded or killed in action, established in 1782 and re-established in 1932. Purple heart was also a slang term for amphetamines (from their colour and shape) in the 1960s. purple passage an elaborate or excessively ornate passage in a literary composition; an alternative name is purple patch. The term is a translation of Latin purpureus pannus, and comes from the Roman poet Horace's Ars Poetica, ‘Works of serious purpose and grand promises often have a purple patch or two stitched on, to shine far and wide.’ See also born in the purple, Tyrian purple at Tyre. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "purple." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "purple." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-purple.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "purple." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-purple.html |
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purple
pur·ple / ˈpərpəl/ • n. a color intermediate between red and blue: the painting was mostly in shades of blue and purple. ∎ purple clothing or material. ∎ (also Tyrian purple) a crimson dye obtained from some mollusks, formerly used for fabric worn by an emperor or senior magistrate in ancient Rome or Byzantium. ∎ (the purple) (in ancient Rome or Byzantium) clothing of this color. ∎ (the purple) (in ancient Rome) a position of rank, authority, or privilege: he was too young to assume the purple. ∎ (the purple) the scarlet official dress of a cardinal. • adj. of a color intermediate between red and blue: a faded purple T-shirt. • v. become or make purple in color: [intr.] Ed's cheeks purpled. | [tr.] the neon was purpling the horizon above the highway. PHRASES: born in (or to) the purple born into a reigning family or privileged class.DERIVATIVES: pur·ple·ness n. pur·plish / ˈpərp(ə)lish/ adj. pur·ply / ˈpərp(ə)lē/ adj. |
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"purple." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "purple." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-purple.html "purple." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-purple.html |
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purple
purple (orig.) of crimson or other red colour; (later) of a colour obtained by mixing red and blue OE.; sb. XV. Late OE. purple, reduced and dissimilated form of purpuran, obl. case of purpure ‘purple’ clothing or garment — L. purpura — Gr. porphúrā shellfish that yielded the Tyrian purple dye, dye itself, cloth dyed therewith.
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T. F. HOAD. "purple." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "purple." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-purple.html T. F. HOAD. "purple." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-purple.html |
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purple
purple A royal colour, found in a fluid derived from sea creatures on the Mediterranean coast of Palestine. Purple-dyed cloth was used for priestly vestments (Exod. 25: 4) and a purple cloak was mockingly thrown round the ‘King of the Jews’ (John 19: 2, 5) before Jesus' crucifixion. Paul encountered a seller of purple at Thyatira (Acts 16: 14).
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "purple." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "purple." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-purple.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "purple." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-purple.html |
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PURPLE
PURPLE, US codename for the Japanese diplomatic cipher enciphered on the Alphabetical Typewriter 97. For details see MAGIC.
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I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "PURPLE." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "PURPLE." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-PURPLE.html I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "PURPLE." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-PURPLE.html |
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purple
purple in air intercept, a code meaning, “The unit indicated is suspected of carrying nuclear weapons.”
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"purple." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "purple." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-purple.html "purple." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-purple.html |
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purple
purple •apple, chapel, chappal, Chappell, dapple, grapple, scrapple
•scalpel
•ample, trample
•pineapple
•carpal, carpel
•example, sample
•sepal
•stemple, temple
•maple, papal, staple
•peepul, people, steeple
•tradespeople • sportspeople
•townspeople • workpeople
•cripple, fipple, nipple, ripple, stipple, tipple, triple
•dimple, pimple, simple, wimple
•Oedipal • maniple • manciple
•municipal
•principal, principle
•participle • multiple
•archetypal, disciple, typal
•prototypal
•hopple, popple, stopple, topple
•gospel
•Constantinople, copal, nopal, opal, Opel
•duple, pupal, pupil, scruple
•quadruple • septuple • sextuple
•quintuple • octuple
•couple, supple
•crumple, rumple, scrumple
•syncopal • episcopal • purple
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"purple." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "purple." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-purple.html "purple." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-purple.html |
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