mass noun
1- a colour intermediate between red and blue紫色：
the painting was mostly in shades of blue and purple.
这幅画的主色调是蓝色和紫色。
1.1
- purple clothing or material紫色衣服（或料子）。
1.2
- （亦作Tyrian purple）a crimson dye obtained from some molluscs, formerly used for fabric worn by an emperor or senior magistrate in ancient Rome or Byzantium（从某些软体动物提取的）深红色染料（以前用来染制供古罗马或拜占庭的皇帝或高级官员穿的织物）。
1.3
the purple
(in ancient Rome or Byzantium) clothing of this colour（古罗马, 拜占庭）紫色衣服。
1.4
the purple
(in ancient Rome) a position of rank, authority, or privilege（古罗马）要职, 高位, 拥有特权的职位：he was too young to assume the purple.
他太年轻, 不宜身居要职。
1.5
the purple
the scarlet official dress of a cardinal（红衣主教的）大红袍。
- of a colour intermediate between red and blue紫色的：
a faded purple T-shirt.
一件褪了色的紫色T恤衫。
- become or make purple in colour（使）成紫色, （使）发紫：
no obj. Edmund's cheeks purpled埃德蒙的双颊发紫
with obj. the neon was purpling the horizon above the highway.霓虹灯映红了公路前方的地平线。
短语
born in （或to） the purple
- born into a reigning family or privileged class出身王室（或特权阶级）。
派生词
purpleness
nounpurplish
adjectivepurply
adjective词源
Old English (describing the clothing of an emperor), alteration of purpre, from Latin purpura 'purple', from Greek porphura, denoting molluscs that yielded a crimson dye, also cloth dyed with this.