Pur″ple, a. 1. Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as, a purple robe.
2. Imperial; regal; — so called from the color having been an emblem of imperial authority.
Hide in the dust thy purple pride. Shelley.
3. Blood-red; bloody.
May such purple tears be alway shed. Shak.
I view a field of blood,
And Tiber rolling with a purple blood. Dryden.
Purple bird(Zoöl.), the European purple gallinule. See under Gallinule. — Purple copper ore. (Min.) See Bornite. — Purple grackle(Zoöl.), the crow blackbird. See under Crow. — Purple martin. See under Martin. — Purple sandpiper. See under Sandpiper. — Purple shell. See Ianthina.