Word of the Day - 10/04/25
purple
/'pɜrpəl/(adj.): of a work of writing, excessively elaborate or showily expressed
His essay was full of purple prose, making it difficult to discern the true meaning.
(adj.): belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
Only those of purple blood were allowed to sit on the throne.
(adj.): of a color intermediate between red and blue
The sunset painted the sky in shades of orange, pink, and purple.
Word Origin
The English word 'purple' derives from the Old English 'purpul' or 'purpure', which in turn came from the Latin 'purpura'. This Latin term referred to both the purple dye itself, the mollusc (murex snail) from which the dye was extracted, and the color. The Latin 'purpura' was borrowed from the Ancient Greek word 'porphyra', which had a similar meaning.
Words with a similar origin include 'porphyry', a type of igneous rock often purplish-red, and 'porphyrin', a class of organic compounds (related to chlorophyll and hemoglobin), both directly stemming from the Greek 'porphyra'. 'Purpuric', referring to purple spots on the skin, is also related.