The Purple Heart is a medal that is given to members of the US Armed Forces who have been wounded during battle.
purple heart in British English
or purpleheart (ˌpɜːpəlˈhɑːt)
noun
1.
any of several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus Peltogyne
2.
the decorative purple heartwood of any of these trees
3. informal, mainly British
a heart-shaped purple tablet consisting mainly of amphetamine
Purple Heart in British English
noun
a decoration awarded to members of the US Armed Forces for a wound incurred in action
Purple Heart in American English
US
a U.S. military decoration awarded to members of the armed forces wounded or killed in action by or against an enemy: established in 1782 and re-established in 1932
Examples of 'purple heart' in a sentence
purple heart
"My grandfather's Purple Heart ," Frank replied with hardly a moment's hesitation.