blue

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   causing dejection

   a blue day

2. 2
   adj

   used to signify the Union forces in the American Civil War (who wore blue uniforms)

   a ragged blue line

3. 3
   adj

   suggestive of sexual impropriety

   a blue movie

4. 4
   noun

   blue clothing

   The police were dressed in blue.

5. 5
   noun

   any organization or party whose uniforms or badges are blue

   the Union army was a vast blue

6. 6
   noun

   the sky as viewed during daylight

   The archer shot an arrow into the blue.

7. 7
   verb

   to turn blue

   You are bluing.

8. 8
   adj

   Of a blue hue.

   the deep blue sea

Etymology

From Middle English blewe, from Anglo-Norman blew (“blue”), from Middle French bleu, from Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), from Frankish *blāu (“blue”) (perhaps through a Late Latin blāvus, blāvius (“blue”) attested from Isidore of Seville), from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue, dark blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlēw- (“yellow, blond, grey”). Cognate with dialectal English blow (“blue”), Scots blue, blew (“blue”), North Frisian bla, blö (“blue”), Saterland Frisian blau (“blue”), Dutch blauw (“blue”), German blau (“blue”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish blå (“blue”), Icelandic blár (“b…