'Purples' definitions:
Definition of 'Purples'
From: GCIDE
- Purple \Pur"ple\, n.; pl. Purples. [OE. purpre, pourpre, OF. purpre, porpre, pourpre, F. pourpre, L. purpura purple fish, purple dye, fr. Gr. ? the purple fish, a shell from the purple dye was obtained, purple dye; cf. ? dark (said of the sea), purple, ? to grow dark (said of the sea), to be troubled; perh. akin to L. furere to rage, E. fury: cf. AS. purpure. Cf. Porphyry, Purpure.]
- 1. A color formed by, or resembling that formed by, a combination of the primary colors red and blue. [1913 Webster]
- Arraying with reflected purple and gold The clouds that on his western throne attend. -- Milton. [1913 Webster]
- Note: The ancient words which are translated purple are supposed to have been used for the color we call crimson. In the gradations of color as defined in art, purple is a mixture of red and blue. When red predominates it is called violet, and when blue predominates, hyacinth. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Cloth dyed a purple color, or a garment of such color; especially, a purple robe, worn as an emblem of rank or authority; specifically, the purple rode or mantle worn by Roman emperors as the emblem of imperial dignity; as, to put on the imperial purple. [1913 Webster]
- Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and purple, and scarlet. --Ex. xxvi. 1. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Hence: Imperial sovereignty; royal rank, dignity, or favor; loosely and colloquially, any exalted station; great wealth. "He was born in the purple." --Gibbon. [1913 Webster]
- 4. A cardinalate. See Cardinal. [1913 Webster]
- 5. (Zool.) Any species of large butterflies, usually marked with purple or blue, of the genus Basilarchia (formerly Limenitis) as, the banded purple ({Basilarchia arthemis}). See Illust. under Ursula. [1913 Webster]
- 6. (Zool.) Any shell of the genus Purpura. [1913 Webster]
- 7. pl.(Med.) See Purpura. [1913 Webster]
- 8. pl. A disease of wheat. Same as Earcockle. [1913 Webster]
- Note: Purple is sometimes used in composition, esp. with participles forming words of obvious signification; as, purple-colored, purple-hued, purple-stained, purple-tinged, purple-tinted, and the like. [1913 Webster]
- French purple. (Chem.) Same as Cudbear.
- Purple of Cassius. See Cassius.
- Purple of mollusca (Zool.), a coloring matter derived from certain mollusks, which dyes wool, etc., of a purple or crimson color, and is supposed to be the substance of the famous Tyrian dye. It is obtained from Ianthina, and from several species of Purpura, and Murex.
- To be born in the purple, to be of princely birth; to be highborn. [1913 Webster]
Words containing 'Purples'
- Purple,
- Purpled,
- Purpling,
- purpleness,
- French purple,
- Heliotrope purple,
- Indian purple,
- Indigo purple,
- Long purple,
- Purple Sage,
- Purple bird,
- Purple emperor,
- Purple grackle,
- Purple martin,
- Purple of Cassius,
- Purple of mollusca,
- Purple sandpiper,
- Purple shell,
- Retinal purple,
- Royal purple,
- To be born in the purple,
- Tyrian purple,
- Vision purple,
- Visual purple,
- aniline purple,
- banded purple,
- purple amaranth,
- purple anise,
- purple apricot,
- purple avens,
- purple bacteria,
- purple beech,
- purple boneset,
- purple clematis,
- purple clover,
- purple coneflower,
- purple cress,
- purple finch,
- purple gage,
- purple gallinule,
- purple granadillo,
- purple heart,
- purple heather,
- purple loco,
- purple locoweed,
- purple loosestrife,
- purple mullein,
- purple nightshade,
- purple onion,
- purple orchis,
- purple osier,
- purple passage,
- purple pea,
- purple sanicle,
- purple saxifrage,
- purple silkweed,
- purple trillium,
- purple willow,
- reddish purple,
- Purple Sage, WY,
- Purple copper ore,
- blue-purple,
- bluish-purple,
- brown-purple,
- brownish-purple,
- crimson-purple,
- dull-purple,
- early purple orchid,
- late purple aster,
- lilac-purple,
- maroon-purple,
- order of the purple heart,
- pink-purple,
- pinkish-purple,
- purple chinese houses,
- purple fringeless orchid,
- purple fringeless orchis,
- purple ground cherry,
- purple milk vetch,
- purple poppy mallow,
- purple rock brake,
- purple strawberry guava,
- purple velvet plant,
- purple violet purplish,
- purple virgin's bower,
- purple-black,
- purple-blue,
- purple-brown,
- purple-eyed,
- purple-flowered,
- purple-green,
- purple-lilac,
- purple-red,
- purple-spotted,
- purple-tinged,
- purple-tinted,
- purple-veined,
- purple-white,
- red-purple,
- reddisn-purple,
- rose-purple,
- rosy-purple,
- texas purple spike,
- violet-purple,
- purple-flowering raspberry,
- purple-fringed orchid,
- purple-fringed orchis,
- purple-hooded orchis,
- purple-staining cortinarius,
- purple-stemmed aster,
- red-spotted purple