blue law
noun
any puritanical law that forbids certain practices, especially drinking or working on Sunday, dancing, etc.
Compare
sumptuary law.
Origin of blue law
An Americanism dating back to 1775–85
Words nearby blue law
blue jasmine,
blue jay,
blue jeans,
blue jet,
blue john,
blue law,
blue laws,
blue lias,
blue line,
blue lips,
blue lotus
British Dictionary definitions for blue laws
blue laws
pl n
US history
a number of repressive puritanical laws of the colonial period, forbidding any secular activity on Sundays
Cultural definitions for blue laws
blue laws
Laws that prohibit certain businesses from opening on Sunday or from selling certain items on that day. Blue laws often apply to bars and to alcohol sales. Originally enacted to allow observation of Sunday as a Sabbath, blue laws have come under attack as violating the separation of church and state. The courts, however, have upheld most blue laws, on the basis that their observance has become secular and promotes Sunday as a day of rest and relaxation.