ENGLISH
REFERENCE

purple

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈpɝpəɫ// UK //pˈɜːpəl// pur·ple
  1. 1 the colour (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a colour that you get by mixing red and blue together.

    a secondary colour located between red and blue on the spectrum, often associated with royalty or luxury.

    Example

    She chose a deep purple for the bedroom walls to make the room feel cozy.

    Example

    The artist experimented with various shades of purple, blending ultramarine and crimson to achieve the perfect royal hue for the velvet cloak.
  2. 2 having the colour purple (adj.)
    A1 Beginner

    having the colour of red and blue mixed together.

    possessing a purple hue or tint.

    Example

    The garden was full of beautiful purple flowers in the springtime.

    Example

    The twilight sky turned a bruised purple as the storm clouds gathered over the horizon.
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  1. 3 ornate writing (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Literature

    writing that is too fancy or uses too many complicated words.

    referring to prose that is excessively ornate, sentimental, or flowery, often to the point of being distracting.

    Example

    The critic said the novel was hard to read because of its purple prose.

    Example

    The editor suggested cutting several paragraphs of purple prose, arguing that the over-elaborate descriptions slowed the narrative pace significantly.

    Usage

    Almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 'purple prose'.
  2. 4 politically mixed (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    in the US, a place where voters are almost equally split between Democrats and Republicans.

    describing a geographic area or demographic where political support is divided between the 'blue' Democratic and 'red' Republican parties.

    Example

    The candidates spent a lot of money on ads in purple states before the election.

    Example

    Strategists focused their efforts on the purple suburbs, knowing that these swing voters would ultimately determine the outcome of the national election.
  3. 5 imperial power (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Formal

    the power or position of an emperor or king.

    the rank or office of an emperor, historically derived from the Tyrian purple robes worn by Roman leaders.

    Example

    The young prince was born to the purple and expected to rule one day.

    Example

    Having been born to the purple, the emperor struggled to understand the daily hardships faced by his subjects in the provinces.

    Usage

    Commonly found in the idiom 'born to the purple'.
  4. 6 to turn purple (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to become purple in colour.

    to become purple or to cause something to take on a purple tint.

    Example

    His face began to purple with anger as he listened to the news.

    Example

    The mountains began to purple as the sun dipped below the ridge, casting long shadows across the valley floor.
Origin

From Middle English purple, purpel, from Old English purpul (“purple”, adjective), taken from Old English purpure (“purple colour”, noun), from Latin purpura (“purple dye, shellfish”), from Ancient Greek πορφύρα (porphúra, “purple-fish”), perhaps of Semitic origin. Doublet of purpura and purpure. The sense of "imperial power" is from the wearing of the color purple by emperors and kings.

Word family
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