the purple
- noun
- Archaic
:
el púrpura
- In ancient Rome, the purple was reserved for emperors.
Examples
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He was born to the purple and destined to rule from a young age.
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Many risked their lives to seize the purple throughout Roman history.
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The general aspired to the purple, plotting his rise to supreme power.
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Only the purple could wear such a majestic robe.
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He was born to the purple and destined to rule as an emperor.
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In ancient Rome, only those of the purple held the highest authority in the empire.
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Throughout history, many sought to claim the purple for themselves, aspiring to become emperors.
Synonyms
1
9.9
The position of being emperor especially in ancient Rome
How High
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + purple
The phrase uses a metonymic extension of 'purple' (a colour associated with rank) so there is a partial link between the constituent 'purple' and the meaning 'official dress/office'. However, the specific sense referring to a cardinal's official dress or the office of rank depends on cultural/conventional knowledge and is not fully predictable from the words alone, so a B1 learner who only knows the literal words may not derive the intended meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
The purple comes from very rare cloth dyed a deep color with a special sea snail, which long ago only Roman emperors could wear. So, the purple came to mean 'the position of an emperor'.