blue
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: blo͞o
ipa: /bluː/
note: Wales, Ottawa Valley
ipa: /blɪʊ̯/
enpr: blyo͞o
ipa: /bljuː/
homophone: blew
rhymes: -uː
Forms: form: blues
form: blueing
form: bluing
form: blued
form: blued
form: blew
form: blewe
Etymology: From Middle English blewe, from Anglo-Norman blew (“blue”), from Middle French bleu, from Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), from Frankish *blāu (“blue”) (perhaps through a Late Latin blāvus, blāvius (“blue”) attested from Isidore of Seville), from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue, dark blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlēw- (“yellow, blond, grey”).
Cognate with dialectal English blow (“blue”), Scots blue, blew (“blue”), North Frisian bla, blö (“blue”), Saterland Frisian blau (“blue”), Dutch blauw (“blue”), German blau (“blue”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish blå (“blue”), Icelandic blár (“blue”), Latin flāvus (“yellow”), French bleu (“blue”), Middle Irish blá (“yellow”). Doublet of blow.
Possibly related also to English blee (“colour”), from Old English blēo (“colour”); but direct derivatives of Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue, dark blue”) in Old English include: Old English blāw and blēo (“blue”), Old English blǣwen (“bluish, light-blue”), blǣhǣwen (“blue-coloured, bluish, violet or purple colour”, literally “blue-hued”). There seems to be a parallel connection in Germanic between words for blue and colour, dually exemplified by Proto-West Germanic *blīu (“colour, blee”) and *blāu (“blue”); and Proto-Germanic *hiwją (“colour, hue”) and *hēwijaz (“blue, purple”).
The sense "obscene, pornographic" is apparently from the colour; various theories exist as to how it arose, including that it is from the colour of the envelopes used to contain missives of the censors and managers to vaudevillian performers on objectionable material from their acts that needed to be excised.
Senses: examples: text: It blows, it snows,
And blues your nose,
My toes are all frost bitten
The weather would
Quite starve the crows,
Or freeze the part you sit on.
ref: 1900 July 8, The Truth, Sydney, page 1, column 6:
text: The dawn is wanly blueing.
ref: 1921, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “The Sea”, in Sea and Sardinia, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Seltzer, →OCLC, page 48:
text: Michael: As a member of the Blue Man Group?[…]
Tobias: Oh, no, no, I’m not in the group yet. No, I’m afraid I just blue myself.
ref: 2004 November 7, Mitchell Hurwitz and Richard Rosenstock, “The One Where Michael Leaves”, in Arrested Development, season 2, episode 1, spoken by Tobias Fünke (David Cross):
synonyms: bluen
glosses: To make or become blue; to turn blue.
topics: engineering
metallurgy
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: To treat the surface of steel so that it is passivated chemically and becomes more resistant to rust.
qualifier: laundry
glosses: To brighten by treating with blue (laundry aid).
examples: text: It was years since Ken had flogged her up, but blueing with him still made her ache.
ref: 2018, Melissa Lucashenko, Too Much Lip, University of Queensland Press, published 2023, page 146:
glosses: To fight, brawl, or argue.
Derived terms: word: abyssal blue
word: academy blue
taxonomic: Polyommatus bellargus
word: Adonis blue
taxonomic: Cyanistes teneriffae
word: African blue tit
word: alcian blue
word: ant-blue
word: antiblue
word: Arctic blue
taxonomic: Portunus trituberculatus
word: Asian blue crab
word: azodiphenyl blue
word: azovan blue
word: baby blue eyes
word: Berlin blue
word: berry blue
word: between the devil and the deep blue sea
word: biblical blue
word: bice blue
word: big blue blanket
word: Bisbee blue
word: black and blue
word: black-and-blue
word: bleen
taxonomic: Andinoacara pulcher
word: blue acara
word: blue admiral
word: blue ammonia
word: Blue Anchor
word: Blue Andalusian
taxonomic: Ara ararauna
word: blue-and-gold macaw
word: blue-and-white
taxonomic: Ara ararauna
word: blue-and-yellow macaw
taxonomic: Glaucus spp. etc.
word: blue angel
alt: Diamma bicolor
word: blue ant
alt: †Hippotragus leucophaeus
word: blue antelope
taxonomic: Junonia orithya
word: blue argus
word: blue asbestos
word: blue ash
taxonomic: Fraxinus quadrangulata
word: blue ash tree
word: blue baby
word: blue baby syndrome
word: blueback
word: blueback salmon
word: blue badge
word: blue bag
word: blue-ball
word: blue baller
word: blue-baller
word: blue-balling
word: blue balls
taxonomic: Hypolimnas alimena
word: blue-banded eggfly
word: blue-banded sea krait
word: Bluebeard
word: bluebeard
word: blue-bearded
word: bluebeat
taxonomic: Carpinus caroliniana
word: blue beech
word: bluebell
taxonomic: Pseudechis guttatus
word: blue-bellied black snake
word: blue belly
taxonomic: Sceloporus occidentalis
word: bluebelly
word: blue beret
english: Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus
translation: Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus
word: blueberry etc
word: blue beryl
word: blue bible
word: bluebill
word: blue-billed duck
word: blue Billy
word: Bluebird
word: bluebird
word: blue-black
word: blue-black grosbeak
word: blue blanket
word: blue blazes
word: blue bloater
word: blue blood
word: blue-blooded
word: blue-blood
word: blueblossom
word: blue blossom
word: bluebonnet
word: blue bonnet
word: bluebook
word: blue book
word: blue book exam
word: blue book examination
word: bluebottle
word: blue bottle
word: blue bottle experiment
word: blue box
word: bluebreast
taxonomic: Malurus pulcherrimus
word: blue-breasted fairywren
taxonomic: Luscinia svecica
word: bluebreast
taxonomic: Ajuga reptans
alt: A. geneveenis
word: blue bugle
taxonomic: Boselaphus tragocamelus
word: blue bull
word: bluebunch
word: blue butter
taxonomic: Porpita porpita
word: blue button etc
word: bluecap
taxonomic: Ifrita kowaldi
word: blue-capped ifrit
word: blue-capped kingfisher
word: blue carbon
word: blue card
word: blue cat
taxonomic: Ictalurus furcatus
word: blue catfish
word: blue chamber
word: blue check
word: blue check mark
word: blue checkmark
word: blue-cheeked bee-eater
word: blue cheese
word: Blue China
word: blue-chinned
word: blue-chip
word: blue chip
word: blue-chipper
word: blue chip swap
word: blue circle rate
word: bluecoat
word: blue cod
word: blue code
word: blue code of silence
word: blue cohosh
word: blue-collar
word: blue-collared
word: blue-collar work
word: blue-collar worker
word: bluecomb
word: blue corn
word: blue crab
word: blue crane
word: blue creeping gromwell
word: Blue Crown
word: bluecurls
word: blue daisy
word: blue dandelion
word: blue dart
word: blue dasher
word: blue daze
word: blue detuning
word: blue devil
word: blue devils
word: blue diamond impatiens
word: blue diaper syndrome
word: blue discharge
word: blue disease
word: blue doe
word: blue dragon
word: blue drawers
taxonomic: Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
word: blue duck
word: blue duiker
word: blue dwarf
word: blue-ear disease
word: blue ear disease
word: blue-eared kingfisher
word: blue-ear pig disease
word: Blue Earth
word: Blue Earth County
word: Blue Earth River
word: blue economy
word: Blue Ensign
word: blue-eye
word: blue-eye cod
word: blue-eyed
word: blue-eyed boy
word: blue-eyed cormorant
english: Sisyrinchium
translation: Sisyrinchium
word: blue-eyed grass
word: blue-eyed Mary
word: blue-eyed shag
word: blue-eyed soul
word: bluefaced
word: blue-faced honeyeater
word: blue falcon
word: blue fenugreek
word: blue fever
word: blue fig
word: blue film
word: bluefin
word: bluefin tuna
word: blue fire
word: bluefish
word: blue fit
word: blue flag
word: blue flash
word: blue flax
word: blue flier
word: blue flu
word: blue fly
word: blue flyer
word: blue force
word: blue fox
word: blue frog
word: blue-fronted jay
word: blue funk
word: blue giant
word: bluegill
taxonomic: Dichorisandra thyrsiflora
word: blue ginger
word: blue gold
word: Blue Goose
word: Bluegown
word: blue grama
word: bluegrass
word: blue grass
word: blue-gray
word: blue-green
english: Cyanobacteria
translation: Cyanobacteria
word: blue-green alga
word: Blue-Green alliance
word: blue-green bacterium
word: blue-green deployment
word: blue-grey
word: blue ground beetle
taxonomic: Claravis pretiosa
word: blue ground dove
word: blue grouse
word: blue gum
word: bluehair
word: blue hair
word: blue hare
word: Blue Hawke
word: bluehead
word: blue heaven
word: blue heeler
word: blue-helmet
word: blue helmet
word: blue hen
word: blue hen-hawk
word: Blue Hen's Chicken
word: blue heron
word: Blue Hill
word: blue hole
word: blue hook star
word: blue hour
word: Blue House
word: blue hydrogen
word: blue ice
word: blue iceberg
word: blueing
word: bluing
word: blueish
word: Blue Island
word: blueism
word: blue jack
word: bluejacket
word: blue jaundice
word: Blue Java
word: blue-jawed
word: blue jay
taxonomic: Coracias spp.
word: bluejay
word: blue jeans
word: blue jean
word: blue jet
word: blue job
word: blue John
word: blue king crab
word: blue law
word: blue lead
word: blueless
word: blue lie
word: blue light
word: blue light bandit
word: blue light disco
word: blue-light special
word: blue light special
word: blueline
word: blue line
word: blue-lined
word: blue line process
word: blueliner
word: blue link
word: blue-linked
word: blue-lipped sea krait
word: blue list
word: blue lives matter
word: bluelizardite
word: Blue Lodge
word: blue lotus
word: bluely
word: Blue Mantle
word: blue marble tree
word: blue marsh hawk
word: blue martyrdom
word: blue mass
word: blue meanie
word: blue measles
word: Blue Mediterranean
word: blue metal
taxonomic: Ageratum houstonianum
word: bluemink
word: blue mold
word: blue Monday
word: blue money
taxonomic: Cercopithecus mitis
word: blue monkey
word: blue moon
word: Blue Mountains
word: blue movie
word: blue murder
word: blue mussel
word: bluen
word: blue-necked ostrich
word: blueness
word: bluenette
word: Blue Nile
word: blue noise
word: blue norther
word: blue-nosed
word: bluenose
word: blue note
word: blue notice
taxonomic: Quercus douglasii
word: blue oak
word: blue-ocean
word: blue ointment
word: blue-on-blue
word: blue orchid
word: blue pages
taxonomic: Junonia orithya
word: blue pansy
word: Blue Pearl of Morocco
word: blue-pencil
word: blue pencil doctrine
word: blue peter
word: Blue Peter
word: blue petrel
taxonomic: Alectroenas spp.
word: blue pigeon
word: blue pigeon flyer
word: blue pike
word: blue pill
word: blue-pill
word: blue pipe
word: blue planet
word: blue plaque
word: blue plate
word: blue-plate
word: blue plate special
word: blue-plate special
word: blue point
word: bluepoint
word: blue-print
word: blue print
word: blueprint
word: blue racer
word: blue raspberry
word: blue rat's tail
word: blue-red
word: Blue Revolution
word: Blue Riband
word: blue riband
word: blue ribbon
word: blue-ribbon
word: Blue Ridge
word: Bluerina
word: blue-ringed octopus
word: blue rinse
word: bluerinse
word: blue-rinse
word: blue-rinse brigade
word: blue-rinsed
word: Blue River
word: blue riverdamsel
word: blue rock thrush
word: blue roll
word: blue room
word: blue rubber
word: blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome
word: blue ruin
word: blue runner
word: Blue Russia
word: Blue Russian
word: blues
word: blue sage
word: blue sailor
word: blue sandalwood
taxonomic: Decaisnea fargesii
word: blue sausage fruit
word: blue savory
word: blue scale
word: blueschist
word: bluescreen
word: blue screen
word: blue screen of death
word: blue seal
word: blue shark
word: blue sheep
word: blue shift
word: blueshift
word: blue shirt
word: Blueshirt
word: blue shrimp
word: blueside
word: blue-sided leaf frog
word: blue-skies
word: blue skimmer
word: blue-sky
word: blue sky
word: blue sky law
word: blue-sky law
word: blue-sky thinking
word: blue slip
word: bluesman
word: blue Smarties
word: blue snakeweed
word: blue space
word: blue spot
word: bluespotted
word: blue spruce
word: blue square
word: blue stain
taxonomic: Amsonia spp.
word: bluestar
word: blue starter
word: blue star wife
word: blue state
word: bluestem
word: blue-stocking
word: bluestocking
word: bluestone
word: blue straggler
word: blue streak
taxonomic: Lestoidea spp.
word: bluestreak
word: bluestripe
word: blue suit
word: blue supergiant
word: blue swallow
word: blue swimmer crab
word: bluesy
word: bluet
word: bluetail
word: blue tang
word: blue tape
word: blue team
word: blue teamer
word: blue tet
word: blueth
word: blue threeawn
word: blue-throated goldentail
word: blue-throated sapphire
taxonomic: Luscinia svecica
word: bluethroat
word: bluetick
word: blue tick
word: blue ticket
word: blue-tile fever
word: blue tit
word: bluetit
word: blue titmouse
word: bluetongue
word: blue-tongue
word: blue-tongued skink
word: blue-tongue lizard
word: blue-tongued lizard
word: Blue-Tooner
word: Bluetooth
word: bluetop
word: blue triangle
word: bluette
word: blue vanda
word: blue vein
word: blue vervain
word: blue vitriol
word: blue vulva
word: blue waffle disease
word: blue waffle
word: blue wall
word: blue wall of silence
word: blueward
word: bluewards
word: bluewash
word: blue water
word: blue-water
word: bluewater
word: blue-water navy
word: blue-wattled crow
word: blue wave
word: blue waxweed
word: blueway
word: blueweed
word: blue weed
word: blue whale
word: blue-white screen
word: blue whiting
word: blue wildebeest
word: bluewing
word: blue-winged grasshopper
word: blue-winged kookaburra
word: blue-winged laughingthrush
word: blue-winged macaw
word: blue won
word: bluewood
taxonomic: Carex glaucodea
word: blue wood sedge
word: blue wren
word: bluey
word: Bluey
word: blue zone
word: bluish
word: bluishness
word: Blu-ray
word: blurple
word: bolt out of the blue
word: bolt from the blue
word: Bonney's blue
word: boy in blue
word: Bristol blue glass
word: bromophenol blue
word: bromothymol blue
word: bronze blue
word: butcher blue
word: calm blue ocean
word: Cambridge blue
word: Carolina blue
word: celestial blue
word: cerulean blue
word: chalkhill blue
word: Chartres blue
word: Chilean blue mussel
word: china blue
word: Chinese blue
word: clear blue water
word: cobalt blue
word: code blue
word: colonial blue
word: Colorado blue spruce
word: Columbia blue
taxonomic: Polyommatus icarus
word: common blue
word: Copenhagen blue
word: cornflower blue
word: Coventry blue
word: cry blue murder
word: cycad blue
word: Danish blue
word: dark blue
word: dark blue snakeweed
word: dark-blue snakeweed
word: deep blue
word: deep blue sea
word: Delft blue
word: desert blue
word: dolly blue
word: duck-egg blue
word: Duke blue
word: Dumont's blue
word: dusky-blue
word: eggshell blue
word: Egyptian blue
word: electric-blue
word: electric blue
word: engineer's blue
word: Eschel blue
word: Evans blue
word: false blue indigo
word: fast blue optical transient
word: flow blue
word: fly the blue pigeon
word: forest-blue
word: gentian blue
word: Glandon blue
taxonomic: Kiunga ballochi
word: glass blue-eye
word: granite blue
word: gray-blue
word: great blue heron
word: great blue lobelia
word: greenish blue
word: grey-blue
word: grue
word: Guimet's blue
word: Haarlem blue
word: haint blue
word: half blue
word: Han blue
word: Hawaiian blue eyes
word: heath-blue
taxonomic: Meconopsis grandis
word: Himalayan blue poppy
word: holly blue
word: ice blue
word: indigo blue
word: into the wide blue yonder
word: iron blue
word: isosulfan blue
word: is the sky blue
word: jouvence blue
word: Kerry Blue Terrier
word: large blue
word: laundry blue
word: leukomethylene blue
word: light blue
word: light the blue touchpaper
word: like a blue-arsed fly
word: line-blue
word: little blue man
word: little blue pill
taxonomic: Lampides boeticus
word: long-tailed blue
word: Madonna blue
word: Majorelle blue
word: marking blue
word: Maya blue
word: mazarine blue
word: Mediterranean blue
word: Meldola's blue
word: men in blue ties
word: methylene blue
word: midnight blue
word: Milori blue
word: mineral blue
word: Mohammedan blue
word: molybdenum blue
word: monoblue
word: moonlight blue
word: mountain blue
word: naphthol blue
word: Nattier blue
word: navy blue
word: new methylene blue
word: night blue
word: Nile blue
word: nodding blue lily
word: non-photo blue
word: non-repro blue
word: oak-blue
word: ocean blue
word: Old Blue
word: once in a blue moon
word: oriental blue
word: out of the blue
word: out the blue
word: Oxford blue
word: pale blue dot
taxonomic: Lepidochrysops patricia
word: patrician blue
word: peacock blue
word: Peligot's blue
word: pencil-blue
word: Persian blue
word: petrol blue
word: phthalo blue
word: plushblue
word: potash blue
word: powder blue
word: Prussian blue
word: pure blue
word: pygmy blue whale
word: Queensland Blue
word: reblue
word: robin's-egg blue
word: robin egg blue
word: Roslyn blue
word: royal blue
word: Russian Blue
word: Russian blue potato
word: Saunders blue
word: Savoy blue
word: saxe blue
word: Saxon blue
word: Scotch blue
word: scream blue murder
word: screwed, blued and tattooed
word: sea-blue histiocytosis
word: short-tailed blue
word: Shropshire Blue
word: Silverblu
word: silver-studded blue
word: Singapore blue
word: Singapore blue tarantula
word: sky blue pink
word: sky-blue pink
word: sky blue
word: sky-blue
word: slate blue
taxonomic: Polyommatinae spp.
word: small blue
word: spirit blue
word: starlight blue
word: steel-blue
word: steel blue
word: Swedish Blue
word: talk a blue streak
word: TARDIS blue
word: Tasmanian blue gum
word: telegraph blue
word: thin blue line
word: thumb blue
word: thymol blue
word: Tiffany blue
word: triisopropylsilyloxycarbonylleucomethylene blue
word: true blue
word: true-blue
word: trypan blue
word: Turkey blue
word: Turnbull's blue
word: turn the air blue
word: turquoise blue
word: Tyndall blue
word: until one is blue in the face
word: Venetian blue
word: Venice blue
word: Vestorian blue
word: Victoria blue
word: vote blue no matter who
word: washing blue
word: Waterloo blue
word: Wedgwood blue
word: western pygmy blue
word: white-blue-white flag
word: white-tailed blue flycatcher
word: wild blue yonder
word: Windsor blue
word: wine-blue
word: winter blue
word: woodland blue phlox
word: work blue
word: Wurster's blue
word: Xerces blue
word: Yale blue
word: YInMn blue
Related terms: Havasupai
primary colour
rainbow
RGB