Tyrian purple


noun
  1. Also called Tyrian dye . a highly prized crimson or purple dye of classical antiquity, originally obtained at great expense from a certain shellfish: later shown to be an indigo derivative and synthetically produced, and now replaced by other synthetic dyes.

  2. a vivid, purplish red.

Origin of Tyrian purple

1
First recorded in 1575–85

Words Nearby Tyrian purple

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How to use Tyrian purple in a sentence

  • Tyrian purple he rejected as being too dull for the comparison.

    The Cassowary | Stanley Waterloo
  • The modern chemist has robbed royalty of its most distinctive insignia, Tyrian purple.

    Creative Chemistry | Edwin E. Slosson

British Dictionary definitions for Tyrian purple

Tyrian purple

noun
  1. a deep purple dye obtained from molluscs of the genus Murex and highly prized in antiquity

    • a vivid purplish-red colour

    • (as adjective): a Tyrian-purple robe Sometimes shortened to: Tyrian

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012