ENGLISH
REFERENCE

azure

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈæʒɝ// UK //ˈæʒɐ// azure Literary

n. a bright, clear blue color, like the sky on a sunny day.

n. a bright, clear blue color, typically resembling the sky on a clear day. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts rather than everyday speech.


SIMPLE

She wore a beautiful azure dress to the party.

CONTEXTUAL

The azure waters of the Mediterranean attracted tourists from all over Europe.

COMPLEX

The artist captured the azure expanse of the sky with delicate brushstrokes, contrasting it against the dark, stormy clouds gathering on the horizon.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English asure, from Old French azur, derived from Arabic لَازَوَرْد (lāzaward, “lapis lazuli”), dropping the l as if it were equivalent to the French article l'. The Arabic is from Classical Persian لاجورد (lājward, “lapis lazuli”), from the region of Lajward in Badakhshan. Compare with Italian azzurro and Spanish azul.

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