purple

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A colour made by mixing red and blue.

   Her favourite colour is purple.

2. 2
   adj

   Having the colour purple.

   She wore a beautiful purple dress to the party.

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.

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