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purple

purple

1 9.9
The position of being emperor especially in ancient Rome
  • noun
  • /ˈpɜrpl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : púrpura
  • "There is no dignity in wickedness, whether in purple or rags; and hell is a democracy of devils, where all are equals."

Examples

  • The Jews of Susa shouted with joy when they saw Mordecai robed in purple.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • When I was sixteen I was forced to marry into the purple

  • Mighty are the men who wear the purple and the gold

  • And the kings, the traditional kings who were born to the purple, to be put aside.

  • Eleusis was still standing when Julian was elevated to the imperial purple in A.D. 360.

    Academic text (2000)
  • And speaking of colors, I caught a mistake of my own recently, just in time—only the royal family was allowed to wear purple in Byzantium in the 1200s.

    Academic text (2008)
  • We are told that Valerian, in chains but invested with the Imperial purple, was exposed to the multitude, a constant spectacle of fallen greatness; and that whenever the Persian monarch mounted on horseback, he placed his foot on the neck of a Roman emperor.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Mighty are the men who wear the purple and the gold.

  • Following Nicephorus' murder, Tzimisces took steps to establish his claim to the imperial purple.

  • When I was sixteen, I was forced to marry into the purple.

Synonyms

the purple
vspurple
  • Archaic
9.9

A high royal position held by an emperor

is the historical single word form used without the definite article

Antonyms

157 3.5

A person who works on land for a living, usually on a small farm

31 4.2

A person without a noble title who is an ordinary member of society

Idioms

To reach a very high position, often as a king or queen

9.9

Gain a very high position quickly when people do not expect it

Compounds

Purple Heart
  • Formal
28 4.1

A military medal given to people in the United States military who are wounded or killed in action

1 3.3

A blue color with a little purple in it

A dark purple color with a little brown in it

A tall marsh plant with long purple flower spikes that crowd out native plants

purple martin
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A large North American swallow with shiny blue-black males and duller females

1 3.3

Very dark black with a slight purple tint

1 2.2

A red color mixed with purple

1 2.8

A purple color with a clear red tint

1 4.2

A deep purple color with a red tone used to show wealth or power

A United States military medal that is given to service members wounded or killed in combat

Purple with a touch of blue

A purple color with a little blue mixed in

A medium reddish purple that is a little bluer and lighter than deep purple

A dark purple color mixed with brown

A deep purple color mixed with red

A wild orchid with pink or purple flowers in a loose cluster that blooms in spring

A soft purple colour that is not bright

9.9

A North American butterfly with dark blue-black wings and a wide white band

A wildflower that has purple flowers like a daisy in late summer and fall

A light purple colour with a soft pink or blue tone

A purple color with a red-brown shade

purple beech
  • Specialized
7.7

A type of tree with shiny purple or copper-coloured leaves often grown in gardens

purple boneset
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American flowering herb with leaves in rings and small purple spotted flowers

A California plant with white and pale purple flowers that grow in rings around the stem like a small tower

purple clematis
  • Specialized
7.5

A climbing plant with purple flowers that grows on fences or walls

purple clover
  • Specialized
4.2

A plant with purple to pink flowers that farmers grow for animal food and to make soil better

purple cress
  • Specialized
9.6

A small plant that lives for several years with purple flowers that bloom in spring

A tall plant with purple leaves and red flower spikes whose seeds people eat

9.7

A small evergreen shrub with purple flowers that grows in wet places in the southeastern United States

A small fruit tree with purple twigs, white flowers, and purple fruit grown mainly for its looks

A plant that grows back every year with divided leaves and purple drooping flowers in northern regions

purple bacteria
  • Specialized
6.1

Small living things that use light to make energy, look pink or purple, and live where there is little oxygen

A large European butterfly with shiny purple wings

purple gallinule
  • Specialized
9.9

A bright purple-blue marsh bird with a red bill that lives in marshes

A bird in the eastern United States that has shiny purple-black feathers

A purple Brazilian fruit eaten fresh or used in drinks and desserts

A small plant that makes purple fruits you can eat, like tiny tomatoes

purple finch
  • Specialized
6.0

A small North American bird with males that have red heads and females with brown streaks

9.9

An orchid from North America with rosy purple flowers and finely toothed leaves

9.9

A small wild plant with rosy-purple flowers that grows in wet meadows in eastern North America

A plant that lives for many years with clusters of purple flowers

A silly phrase people use to say something is confusing or absurd

A tall garden plant with purple or pink flower spikes

A wild plant with silvery leaves, violet, blue or white flowers and round berries used to make milk into cheese

A round vegetable with purple skin and a mild, slightly sweet taste often eaten raw in salads or on burgers

9.9

A North American orchid with a long stem of purple and white flowers that form a hood

9.9

A strong sleeping medicine that works for a long time

A low evergreen plant with small purple flowers

9.9

A plant that grows in small clumps with purple, pink, or white flowers in the dry southwest United States

purple locoweed
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant with purple, pink, or white flowers that can poison farm animals

9.9

A small willow with purple twigs used for making baskets

purple passage
  • Literature
9.3

A part of writing that uses too many fancy words

purple pea
  • Australian
8.7

An Australian shrub that keeps its leaves all year and has shiny green leaves and bright purple flowers

A small tropical bush or tree that produces deep red oval fruit you can eat

A long-lived plant with strong-smelling pink or purple flowers and a root used in traditional medicine to help childbirth

A tropical houseplant with soft leaves covered in short purple hairs

Hairy plant that lives many years with round lobed leaves and large purple or red flowers

A small fern with dark shiny stems that grows on rocks

6.8

A small plant with silver leaves and groups of purple flowers

A plant that lives for more than one year with small groups of yellow, red or purple flowers

A small round plant with bright purple flowers that grows on rocky slopes

A plant that lives for many years and has pink-purple flowers attracting butterflies

A climbing plant with waxy purple-blue flowers that grows on fences

Having a purple mark near the center that looks like an eye

A plant that has purple flowers

A small bush with purple flowers and red fruit you can eat

7.7

A tree with reddish-purple twigs used for making baskets and leather

A brown color that looks slightly purple

A North American wildflower with clusters of purple, fringed flowers

A North American orchid with clusters of purple fringed flowers that grows in wet meadows and marshes

Having purple spots on its surface

9.9

A mushroom with a slimy purple cap and gills that turn dark purple when bruised

purple-stemmed aster
  • Specialized
9.0

A wildflower with purple stems and clusters of violet or blue flowers

Surface Forms

purple singular
purples plural

Etymology

Purple as a noun meaning the position of imperial power comes from the emperor's purple robe, so being in the 'purple' meant holding 'imperial power' or being part of the imperial family.