purple
1
9.7
- noun
- /ˈpɜrpl/
- His illness was caused by no act of theirs; but ought they, at that hour of sickness and calamity, to clothe his bed with purple?
- Tyrian purple
Examples
-
She was clothed in gold-encrusted purple and shone with an ineffable radiance, surrounded by apostles, saints, martyrs, and virgins.
Blog text (18) -
When I am ordained, I shall wear purple.
Blog text (24) -
Caesar had taken to wearing the purple red boots that had belonged to Rome's kings centuries before.
-
When I am ordained, I shall wear purple with killer heels and bright red lipstick.
Blog text (24) -
Behind the preacher, the choir members stood in their robes, a slightly glossier purple than the robes of Jesus.
Fiction book (1998) -
Guatemalan holiday boasts traditional Semana Santa purple robes with incense burning during the procession of Holy Week.
Blog text (24) -
The priest stood before the altar, tall, lean, almost spectral in his best vestments, the ends of his purple stole twitching from a slight rotation of his hips.
Fiction book (2000) -
During the ceremony, the cardinal wore a rich purple robe that signified his authority.
-
The purple vestments of the bishops gleamed under the church lights during the service.
-
At the cathedral, the priest donned a purple stole as a symbol of penance for Lent.
Synonyms
1
9.9
Special official clothes worn by a cardinal in the Catholic Church
Idioms
Compounds
- Formal
36
4.1
A military medal given to people in the United States military who are wounded or killed in action
- Specialized
1
7.6
A large North American swallow with shiny blue-black males and duller females
1
8.9
A tall marsh plant with long purple flower spikes that crowd out native plants
- Formal
1
6.0
A United States military medal that is given to service members wounded or killed in combat
- Informal
1
9.9
A silly phrase people use to say something is confusing or absurd
1
2.0
A round vegetable with purple skin and a mild, slightly sweet taste often eaten raw in salads or on burgers
- Specialized
1
6.0
A small North American bird with males that have red heads and females with brown streaks
- Specialized
1
6.1
Small living things that use light to make energy, look pink or purple, and live where there is little oxygen
- Specialized
1
7.5
A climbing plant with purple flowers that grows on fences or walls
1
9.9
A wild plant with silvery leaves, violet, blue or white flowers and round berries used to make milk into cheese
1
9.9
A North American orchid with a long stem of purple and white flowers that form a hood
- Specialized
1
9.6
A reddish purple substance at the back of the eye that helps you see in dim light
- Specialized
1
9.9
A bright purple-blue marsh bird with a red bill that lives in marshes
1
9.9
A long-lived plant with strong-smelling pink or purple flowers and a root used in traditional medicine to help childbirth
1
9.8
A North American orchid with clusters of purple fringed flowers that grows in wet meadows and marshes
- Specialized
1
9.0
A wildflower with purple stems and clusters of violet or blue flowers
- Specialized
1
9.6
A small plant that lives for several years with purple flowers that bloom in spring
1
9.1
A plant that grows back every year with divided leaves and purple drooping flowers in northern regions
- Australian
1
8.7
An Australian shrub that keeps its leaves all year and has shiny green leaves and bright purple flowers
A wild orchid with pink or purple flowers in a loose cluster that blooms in spring
- Specialized
A type of tree with shiny purple or copper-coloured leaves often grown in gardens
- Specialized
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
- Specialized
A plant with purple to pink flowers that farmers grow for animal food and to make soil better
- US
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
- Specialized
An orchid from North America with rosy purple flowers and finely toothed leaves
Surface Forms
Etymology
Purple for a cardinal's official dress comes from the same rich dye purpura, so the deep purple robe became a clear sign of rank in the Church.