I. noun
Usage: sometimes capitalized B&F
Etymology: translation of German blaue blume, symbol of poetry in Heinrich von Ofterdingen (1802), fragmentary novel by Baron Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis) died 1801 German poet
: the mystic vague object of romanticist longing especially in the 19th century — usually used with preceding the
always in search of the blue flower — Willi Apel
II. noun
Etymology: blue (I) + flower
: a pale blue that is redder, lighter, and stronger than average powder blue or Sistine and greener, lighter, and stronger than average cadet gray