red-spotted purple

[ red-spot-id ]

/ ˈrɛdˌspɒt ɪd /

noun

See under purple(def 7).

Origin of red-spotted purple

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

Words nearby red-spotted purple

red-light district, red-osier dogwood, red-pencil, red-short, red-shouldered hawk, red-spotted purple, red-tag, red-tailed hawk, red-top, red-wat, red-winged blackbird

Definition for red-spotted purple (2 of 2)

purple

[ pur-puh l ]

/ ˈpɜr pəl /

noun

any color having components of both red and blue, such as lavender, especially one deep in tone.

cloth or clothing of this hue, especially as formerly worn distinctively by persons of imperial, royal, or other high rank.

the rank or office of a cardinal.

the office of a bishop.

imperial, regal, or princely rank or position.

deep red; crimson.

any of several nymphalid butterflies, as Basilarchia astyanax (red-spotted purple), having blackish wings spotted with red, or Basilarchia arthemis (banded purple or white admiral), having brown wings banded with white.

adjective, pur·pler, pur·plest.

of the color purple.

imperial, regal, or princely.

brilliant or showy.

full of exaggerated literary devices and effects; marked by excessively ornate rhetoric: a purple passage in a novel.

profane or shocking, as language.

relating to or noting political or ideological diversity: purple politics; ideologically purple areas of the country.

verb (used with or without object), pur·pled, pur·pling.

to make or become purple.

Origin of purple

before 1000; Middle English purpel (noun and adjective), Old English purple (adjective), variant of purpure < Latin purpura “kind of shellfish yielding purple dye, the dye, cloth so dyed” < Greek porphýra; cf. purpure, porphyry

OTHER WORDS FROM purple

pur·ple·ness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for red-spotted purple

purple

/ (ˈpɜːpəl) /

noun

any of various colours with a hue lying between red and blue and often highly saturated; a nonspectral colour

a dye or pigment producing such a colour

cloth of this colour, often used to symbolize royalty or nobility

the purple high rank; nobility

the official robe of a cardinal
the rank, office, or authority of a cardinal as signified by this

the purple bishops collectively

adjective

of the colour purple

(of writing) excessively elaborate or full of imagery purple prose

noble or royal

Derived forms of purple

purpleness, noun purplish, adjective purply, adjective

Word Origin for purple

Old English, from Latin purpura purple dye, from Greek porphura the purple fish ( Murex)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

red-spotted purple

noun

Origin of red-spotted purple

Words nearby red-spotted purple

Definition for red-spotted purple (2 of 2)

noun

adjective, pur·pler, pur·plest.

verb (used with or without object), pur·pled, pur·pling.

Origin of purple

OTHER WORDS FROM purple

British Dictionary definitions for red-spotted purple

noun

adjective

Derived forms of purple

Word Origin for purple