purple

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɝ.pl̩/ UK /ˈpɜː.pl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #4618

Meanings

1

noun
A colour made by mixing red and blue.

Her favourite colour is purple.
2

adj
Having the colour purple.

She wore a beautiful purple dress to the party.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a colour made by mixing red... blue-red

Opposites

nonpurple

Word family

Forms purplerpurplespurplestpurplish

Derived forms bepurpleblurpleempurpleimpurplepurple-fishpurpleheartpurpleleafpurplelypurplemanpurplenesspurplescentpurplespotted

Related forms porphyrogeniteporphyrogeniturepurpurerhodopsin

Etymology

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.

purple Middle English purpul Old English purpure Old English purpura Latin πορφύρα Ancient Greek

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# purple

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɝ.pl̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɜː.pl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 4618

## Meanings
1. A colour made by mixing red and blue.
2. Having the colour purple.

## Examples
- Her favourite colour is purple.
- She wore a beautiful purple dress to the party.

## Antonyms
- nonpurple

## Derived Forms
- bepurple
- blurple
- empurple
- impurple
- purple-fish
- purpleheart
- purpleleaf
- purplely
- purpleman
- purpleness
- purplescent
- purplespotted

## Related Forms
- porphyrogenite
- porphyrogeniture
- purpure
- rhodopsin

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: purple
- Root: purpul
- Root: purpure
- Root: purpura
- Root: πορφύρα

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Purple comes 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. In present-day English it covers a colour made by mixing red and blue and having the colour purple. The wider family includes derived forms such as bepurple, blurple, empurple, impurple, purple-fish and related forms such as porphyrogenite, porphyrogeniture, purpure, rhodopsin.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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purple

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