the pure color of a clear sky; the primary color between green and violet in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 450 and 500 nanometers.
bluing.
something having a blue color: Place the blue next to the red.
a person who wears blue or is a member of a group characterized by some blue symbol: Tomorrow the blues will play the browns.
(often initial capital letter) a member of the Union army in the American Civil War or the army itself.Compare gray1 (def. 13).
bluestocking.
blue ribbon (def. 1).
any of several blue-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.
Printing. blueline.
the blue,
the sky.
the sea.
the remote distance: They've vanished into the blue somewhere.
adjective,blu·er,blu·est.
of the color of blue: a blue tie.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Union army in the American Civil War.
(of the skin) discolored by cold, contusion, fear, or vascular collapse.
depressed in spirits; dejected; melancholy: She felt blue about not being chosen for the team.
holding or offering little hope; dismal; bleak: a blue outlook.
characterized by or stemming from rigid morals or religion: statutes that were blue and unrealistic.
marked by blasphemy: The air was blue with oaths.
(of an animal's pelage) grayish-blue.
indecent; somewhat obscene; risqué: a blue joke or film.
verb (used with object),blued,blu·ing or blue·ing.
to make blue; dye a blue color.
to tinge with bluing: Don't blue your clothes till the second rinse.
verb (used without object),blued,blu·ing or blue·ing.
to become or turn blue.
Idioms for blue
blue in the face, exhausted and speechless, as from excessive anger, physical strain, etc.: I reminded him about it till I was blue in the face.
out of the blue, suddenly and unexpectedly: The inheritance came out of the blue as a stroke of good fortune.
Origin of blue
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English blewe, from Anglo-French blew, bl(i)u, bl(i)ef “blue, livid, discolored,” Old French blo, blau (French bleu ), from unattested Germanic blǣwaz; compare Old English blǣwen, contraction of blǣhǣwen “deep blue, perse” (see blae, hue1), Old Frisian blāw, Middle Dutch blā(u),Old High German blāo (German blau ), Old Norse blār
SYNONYMS FOR blue
1 azure, cerulean, sapphire.
14 despondent, unhappy, morose, doleful, dispirited, sad, glum, downcast.
Among only developed countries, blue states would be in the top five and red states would be in the top 10.
Trump says US Covid-19 deaths would be low if you excluded blue states. That’s wrong.|German Lopez|September 17, 2020|Vox
Even in a blue-leaning state like Minnesota, the best Democratic gerrymander likely secures five safe seats while the best Republican one secures six.
America needs a democratic revolution|Matthew Yglesias|September 17, 2020|Vox
Meanwhile, the blue tilt of currently GOP-held Senate seats in Maine and North Carolina is putting Democratic control of the Senate into play for the first time since they lost it in the 2014 midterms.
Our Forecast: A Brewing Current Could Lift Biden … or Swamp Him|Nick Fouriezos|September 17, 2020|Ozy
If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at.
Trump blames blue states for the coronavirus death toll — but most recent deaths have been in red states|Philip Bump|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Cosmetically, the watches come in gray, silver, gold, blue, and red metallic finishes.
Everything announced at Apple’s ‘Time Flies’ event today|rhhackettfortune|September 15, 2020|Fortune
Clad in a blue, striped button-down, a silver watch adorning his left wrist, Huckabee beams on the cover.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It denotes the person that puts on the badge, puts on the blue uniform, and goes into the streets to put their life at risk.
Cop Families Boo De Blasio at NYPD Graduation|Michael Daly|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They looked up into the blue sky as the helicopters flew over in a lost man formation.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos|Michael Daly|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Basosila Botala is wearing a blue rain jacket despite the sweltering heat.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In one picture, his head gets ripped off by a blue dragon; in another, he is the blue dragon.
‘All Good Cretins Go to Heaven’: Dee Dee Ramone’s Twisted Punk Paintings|Melissa Leon|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The fruit of the blue grape is sour and hangs in long, heavy clusters.
On the Trail|Lina Beard and Adelia Belle Beard
It is produced by combining a blue or purple with red when a compound colour is used.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Now there are eleven of them, and their wings shine in the sun like blue steel.
Trans-Himalaya, Vol. 1 (of 2)|Sven Hedin
Excitement, too, had lent a warmer pink to her apple cheeks, and her blue eyes were like deep and hating stars.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. 31, No. 1, May 1908|Various
With no guides but the stars by night and the blue edge of the land by day, there was need for keen eyesight and watchfulness.
Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art|Various
British Dictionary definitions for blue (1 of 2)
blue
/ (bluː) /
noun
any of a group of colours, such as that of a clear unclouded sky, that have wavelengths in the range 490–445 nanometres. Blue is the complementary colour of yellow and with red and green forms a set of primary coloursRelated adjective: cyanic
a dye or pigment of any of these colours
blue cloth or clothingdressed in blue
a sportsperson who represents or has represented Oxford or Cambridge University and has the right to wear the university colour (dark blue for Oxford, light blue for Cambridge)an Oxford blue
the honour of so representing one's university
British an informal name for Tory
any of numerous small blue-winged butterflies of the genera Lampides, Polyommatus, etc: family Lycaenidae
archaic short for bluestocking
slanga policeman
archerya blue ring on a target, between the red and the black, scoring five points
a blue ball in snooker, etc
another name for blueing
Australian and NZslangan argument or fighthe had a blue with a taxi driver
Also: blueyAustralian and NZslanga court summons, esp for a traffic offence
Australian and NZinformala mistake; error
out of the blueapparently from nowhere; unexpectedlythe opportunity came out of the blue
into the blueinto the unknown or the far distance
adjectivebluerorbluest
of the colour blue
(of the flesh) having a purple tinge, as from cold or contusion
depressed, moody, or unhappy
dismal or depressinga blue day
indecent, titillating, or pornographicblue films
bluish in colour or having parts or marks that are bluisha blue fox; a blue whale
rarearistocratic; noble; patriciana blue family See blue blood
USrelating to, supporting, or representing the Democratic PartyCompare red 1 (def. 18)
verbblues, blueing, bluingorblued
to make, dye, or become blue
(tr)to treat (laundry) with blueing
(tr)slangto spend extravagantly or wastefully; squander
See also blues
Derived forms of blue
bluely, adverbblueness, noun
Word Origin for blue
C13: from Old French bleu, of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse blār, Old High German blāo, Middle Dutch blā; related to Latin flāvus yellow
British Dictionary definitions for blue (2 of 2)
Blue
Bluey
/ (bluː) /
noun
Australianinformala nickname for a person with red hair
Why Do We Have “Red States” And “Blue States”?As hardwired as the associations are to us now, it may surprise you to learn when red came to mean Republican and blue to mean Democrat.