Word Meanings - BLUE - Book Publishers vocabulary database

blue, Sw. bl, D. blauw, OHG. bl, G. blau; but influenced in form by 1. Having the color of the clear sky, or a hue resembling it, whether lighter or darker; as, the deep, blue sea; as blue as a sapphire; blue violets. "The blue firmament." Milton.

Additional info about word: BLUE

blue, Sw. bl, D. blauw, OHG. bl, G. blau; but influenced in form by 1. Having the color of the clear sky, or a hue resembling it, whether lighter or darker; as, the deep, blue sea; as blue as a sapphire; blue violets. "The blue firmament." Milton. 2. Pale, without redness or glare, -- said of a flame; hence, of the color of burning brimstone, betokening the presence of ghosts or devils; as, the candle burns blue; the air was blue with oaths. 3. Low in spirits; melancholy; as, to feel blue. 4. Suited to produce low spirits; gloomy in prospect; as, thongs looked blue. 5. Severe or over strict in morals; gloom; as, blue and sour religionists; suiting one who is over strict in morals; inculcating an impracticable, severe, or gloomy mortality; as, blue laws. 6. Literary; -- applied to women; -- an abbreviation of bluestocking. The ladies were very blue and well informed. Thackeray. Blue asbestus. See Crocidolite. -- Blue black, of, or having, a very dark blue color, almost black. -- Blue blood. See under Blood. -- Blue buck , a small South African antelope (Cephalophus pygmæus); also applied to a larger species ; the blaubok. -- Blue cod , the buffalo cod. -- Blue crab , the common edible crab of the Atlantic coast of the United States . -- Blue curls , a common plant , resembling pennyroyal, and hence called also bastard pennyroyal. -- Blue devils, apparitions supposed to be seen by persons suffering with delirium tremens; hence, very low spirits. "Can Gumbo shut the hall door upon blue devils, or lay them all in a red sea of claret" Thackeray. -- Blue gage. See under Gage, a plum. -- Blue gum, an Australian myrtaceous tree , of the loftiest proportions, now cultivated in tropical and warm temperate regions for its timber, and as a protection against malaria. The essential oil is beginning to be used in medicine. The timber is very useful. See Eucalyptus. -- Blue jack, Blue stone, blue vitriol; sulphate of copper. -- Blue jacket, a man-of war's man; a sailor wearing a naval uniform. -- Blue jaundice. See under Jaundice. -- Blue laws, a name first used in the eighteenth century to describe certain supposititious laws of extreme rigor reported to have been enacted in New Haven; hence, any puritanical laws. -- Blue light, a composition which burns with a brilliant blue flame; -- used in pyrotechnics and as a night signal at sea, and in military operations. -- Blue mantle , one of the four pursuivants of the English college of arms; -- so called from the color of his official robes. -- Blue mass, a preparation of mercury from which is formed the blue pill. McElrath. -- Blue mold, or mould, the blue fungus which grows on cheese. Brande & C. -- Blue Monday, a Monday following a Sunday of dissipation, or itself given to dissipation . -- Blue ointment , mercurial ointment. -- Blue Peter , a blue flag with a white square in the center, used as a signal for sailing, to recall boats, etc. It is a corruption of blue repeater, one of the British signal flags. -- Blue pill. A pill of prepared mercury, used as an aperient, etc. Blue mass. -- Blue ribbon. The ribbon worn by members of the order of the Garter; -- hence, a member of that order. Anything the attainment of which is an object of great ambition; a distinction; a prize. "These were the blue ribbon of the college." Farrar. The distinctive badge of certain temperance or total abstinence organizations, as of the Blue ribbon Army. -- Blue ruin, utter ruin; also, gin. Carlyle. -- Blue spar , azure spar; lazulite. See Lazulite. -- Blue thrush , a European and Asiatic thrush -- Blue verditer. See Verditer. -- Blue vitriol , sulphate of copper, a violet blue crystallized salt, used in electric batteries, calico printing, etc. -- Blue water, the open ocean. -- To look blue, to look disheartened or dejected. -- True blue, genuine and thorough; not modified, nor mixed; not spurious; specifically, of uncompromising Presbyterianism, blue being the color adopted by the Covenanters. For his religion . . . 'T was Presbyterian, true blue. Hudibras.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of BLUE)

• Azure
• Blue
• cerulean
• sky blue
• bluish
• blue-colored

Related words: (words related to BLUE)

• AZURE
  Sky-blue; resembling the clear blue color of the unclouded sky; cerulean; also, cloudless. Azure stone , the lapis lazuli; also, the lazulite. (more info) lajaward, or lajuward, lapis lazuli, a blue color, lajawardi, lajuwardi, azure, cerulean,
• CERULEAN
  Sky-colored; blue; azure. Cowper. Blue, blue, as if that sky let fall A flower from its cerulean wall. Bryant.
• BLUISH
  Somewhat blue; as, bluish veins. "Bluish mists." Dryden. -- Blu"ish*ly, adv. -- Blu"ish*ness, n.
• AZUREOUS
  Of a fine blue color; azure.
• AZURED
  Of an azure color; sky-blue. "The azured harebell." Shak.
• RAZURE
  1. The act of erasing or effacing, or the state of being effaced; obliteration. See Rasure. 2. An erasure; a change made by erasing.