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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



154 words match “PURPLE”

LOOSESTRIFE n.
Any species of the genus Lythrum, having purple, or, in some species, crimson flowers. Gray.
LUCERN n.
A leguminous plant (Medicago sativa), having bluish purple cloverlike flowers, cultivated for fodder; -- called also alfalfa. [Written also lucerne.]
LUNA n.
autiful American moth (Actias luna). Its wings are delicate light green, with a stripe of purple along the front edge of the anterior wings, the other margins being edged with pale yellow. Each wing has a lunate spot surrounded by rings of light yellow, blue, and black. The caterpillar commonly feeds on the hickory, sa…
LURID a.
Of a color tinged with purple, yellow, and gray.
MAHON STOCK n.
An annual cruciferous plant with reddish purple or white flowers (Malcolmia maritima). It is called in England Virginia stock, but the plant comes from the Mediterranean.
MAROON n.
or dull red of any description, esp. of a scarlet cast rather than approaching crimson or purple.
MARSH n.
led also bog asphodel. -- Marsh cinquefoil (Bot.), a plant (Potentilla palustris) having purple flowers, and found growing in marshy places; marsh five- finger. -- Marsh elder. (Bot.) (a) The guelder-rose or cranberry tree (Viburnum Opulus). (b) In the United States, a composite shrub growing in salt marshes (Iva fru…
MAUVE n.
A color of a delicate purple, violet, or lilac. Mauve aniline (Chem.), a dyestuff produced artificially by the oxidation of commercial aniline, and the first discovered of the so-called coal- tar, or aniline, dyes. It consists of the sulphate of mauveïne, and is a dark brown or bronze amorphous powder, which dissolves…
MEDIC n.
A leguminous plant of the genus Medicago. The black medic is the Medicago lupulina; the purple medic, or lucern, is M. sativa.
MOREL n.
Nightshade; -- so called from its blackish purple berries. [Written also morelle.]
MORNING-GLORY n.
bing plant (Ipomoea purpurea) having handsome, funnel- shaped flowers, usually red, pink, purple, white, or variegated, sometimes pale blue. See Dextrorsal.
MOURNING a.
n, and the like. Mourning bride (Bot.), a garden flower (Scabiosa atropurpurea) with dark purple or crimson flowers in flattened heads. -- Mourning dove (Zoöl.), a wild dove (Zenaidura macroura) found throughout the United States; -- so named from its plaintive note. Called also Carolina dove. See Illust. under Dove.…
NITROPRUSSIC a.
d crystalline unstable substance. It forms salts called nitroprussides, which give a rich purple color with alkaline subphides.
NONPAREIL n.
p blue, rump and under parts bright red, back and wings golden green, and the tail bluish purple. Called also painted finch.
NYMPH n.
Any one of a subfamily (Najades) of butterflies including the purples, the fritillaries, the peacock butterfly, etc.; -- called also naiad.
OPAH n.
It is remarkable for its brilliant colors, which are red, green, and blue, with tints of purple and gold, covered with round silvery spots. Called also king of the herrings.
OPTOGRAM n.
f external objects fixed on the retina by the photochemical action of light on the visual purple. See Optography.
OPTOGRAPHY n.
roduction of an optogram on the retina by the photochemical action of light on the visual purple; the fixation of an image in the eye. The object so photographed shows white on a purple or red background. See Visual purple, under Visual.
ORANGE n.
ge scale (Zoöl.) any species of scale insects which infests orange trees; especially, the purple scale (Mytilaspis citricola), the long scale (M. Gloveri), and the red scale (Aspidiotus Aurantii).
ORPINE n.
A low plant with fleshy leaves (Sedum telephium), having clusters of purple flowers. It is found on dry, sandy places, and on old walls, in England, and has become naturalized in America. Called also stonecrop, and live-forever. [Written also orpin.]
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