— bluely , adv. — blueness , n.
/blooh/ , n., adj., bluer, bluest , v. , blued, bluing or blueing .
n.
1. the pure color of a clear sky; the primary color between green and violet in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 450 and 500 nm.
2. bluing.
3. something having a blue color: Place the blue next to the red.
4. a person who wears blue or is a member of a group characterized by some blue symbol: Tomorrow the blues will play the browns.
5. ( often cap. ) a member of the Union army in the American Civil War or the army itself. Cf. gray (def. 13).
6. bluestocking.
7. See blue ribbon (def. 1).
8. any of several blue-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.
9. Print. blueline.
10. the blue ,
a. the sky.
b. the sea.
c. the remote distance: They've vanished into the blue somewhere.
11. out of the blue , suddenly and unexpectedly: The inheritance came out of the blue as a stroke of good fortune.
adj.
12. of the color of blue: a blue tie.
13. ( cap. ) of or pertaining to the Union army in the American Civil War.
14. (of the skin) discolored by cold, contusion, fear, or vascular collapse.
15. depressed in spirits; dejected; melancholy: She felt blue about not being chosen for the team.
16. holding or offering little hope; dismal; bleak: a blue outlook.
17. characterized by or stemming from rigid morals or religion: statutes that were blue and unrealistic.
18. marked by blasphemy: The air was blue with oaths.
19. (of an animal's pelage) grayish-blue.
20. indecent; somewhat obscene; risqué: a blue joke or film.
21. blue in the face , exhausted and speechless, as from excessive anger, physical strain, etc.: I reminded him about it till I was blue in the face.
v.t.
22. to make blue; dye a blue color.
23. to tinge with bluing: Don't blue your clothes till the second rinse.
v.i.
24. to become or turn blue.
[ 1250-1300; ME blewe blew, bl ( i ) u, bl ( i ) ef blue, livid, discolored, OF blo, blau (F bleu ) blaewaz; cf. OE blaewen, contr. of blaehaewen deep blue, perse (see BLAE, HUE), OFris blaw, MD bla ( u ), OHG blao (G blau ), ON blar ]
Syn. 1. azure, cerulean, sapphire. 15. despondent, unhappy, morose, doleful, dispirited, sad, glum, downcast. 16. gloomy, dispiriting. 17. righteous, puritanical, moral, severe, prudish.
Ant. 15. happy.