[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

purple \pur"ple\, n.; pl. purples. oe. purpre, pourpre, of.
   purpre, porpre, pourpre, f. pourpre, l. purpura purple fish,
   purple dye, fr. gr. ? the purple fish, a shell from the
   purple dye was obtained, purple dye; cf. ? dark said of the
   sea, purple, ? to grow dark said of the sea, to be
   troubled; perh. akin to l. furere to rage, e. fury: cf. as.
   purpure. cf. porphyry, purpure.
   1. a color formed by, or resembling that formed by, a
      combination of the primary colors red and blue.
      1913 webster

            arraying with reflected purple and gold
            the clouds that on his western throne attend. --
                                                  milton.
      1913 webster

   note: the ancient words which are translated purple are
         supposed to have been used for the color we call
         crimson. in the gradations of color as defined in art,
         purple is a mixture of red and blue. when red
         predominates it is called violet, and when blue
         predominates, hyacinth.
         1913 webster

   2. cloth dyed a purple color, or a garment of such color;
      especially, a purple robe, worn as an emblem of rank or
      authority; specifically, the purple rode or mantle worn by
      roman emperors as the emblem of imperial dignity; as, to
      put on the imperial purple.
      1913 webster

            thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of
            fine twined linen, and purple, and scarlet. --ex.
                                                  xxvi. 1.
      1913 webster

   3. hence: imperial sovereignty; royal rank, dignity, or
      favor; loosely and colloquially, any exalted station;
      great wealth. "he was born in the purple." --gibbon.
      1913 webster

   4. a cardinalate. see cardinal.
      1913 webster

   5. zool. any species of large butterflies, usually marked
      with purple or blue, of the genus basilarchia formerly
      limenitis as, the banded purple basilarchia
      arthemis. see illust. under ursula.
      1913 webster

   6. zool. any shell of the genus purpura.
      1913 webster

   7. pl.med. see purpura.
      1913 webster

   8. pl. a disease of wheat. same as earcockle.
      1913 webster

   note: purple is sometimes used in composition, esp. with
         participles forming words of obvious signification; as,
         purple-colored, purple-hued, purple-stained,
         purple-tinged, purple-tinted, and the like.
         1913 webster

   french purple. chem. same as cudbear.

   purple of cassius. see cassius.

   purple of mollusca zool., a coloring matter derived from
      certain mollusks, which dyes wool, etc., of a purple or
      crimson color, and is supposed to be the substance of the
      famous tyrian dye. it is obtained from ianthina, and from
      several species of purpura, and murex.

   to be born in the purple, to be of princely birth; to be
      highborn.
      1913 webster
see also:
purples porphyry purpure cardinal basilarchia limenitis 
basilarchia arthemis ursula purpura earcockle french purple 
cudbear purple of cassius cassius purple of mollusca to be born in the purple 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

purple \pur"ple\, v. t. imp.  p. p. purpled; p. pr.  vb. n.
   purpling.
   to make purple; to dye of purple or deep red color; as, hands
   purpled with blood.
   1913 webster

         when morn
         purples the east.                        --milton.
   1913 webster

         reclining soft in blissful bowers,
         purpled sweet with springing flowers.    -- fenton.
   1913 webster
see also:
purpled purpling 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

purple \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.
      1913 webster

   2. imperial; regal; -- so called from the color having been
      an emblem of imperial authority.
      1913 webster

            hide in the dust thy purple pride.    --shelley.
      1913 webster

   3. blood-red; bloody.
      1913 webster

            may such purple tears be alway shed.  --shak.
      1913 webster

            i view a field of blood,
            and tiber rolling with a purple blood. --dryden.
      1913 webster

   purple bird zool., the european purple gallinule. see
      under gallinule.

   purple copper ore. min. see bornite.

   purple grackle zool., the crow blackbird. see under
      crow.

   purple martin. see under martin.

   purple sandpiper. see under sandpiper.

   purple shell. see ianthina.
      1913 webster
see also:
purple bird gallinule purple copper ore bornite purple grackle crow 
purple martin martin purple sandpiper sandpiper purple shell 
ianthina 

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

purple
     adj 1: of a color midway between red and blue syn: violet, purplish
     2: excessively elaborate or showily expressed; "a writer of
        empurpled literature"; "many purple passages"; "speech
        embellished with classical quotations"; "an
        over-embellished story of the fish that got away" syn: embellished,
         empurpled, over-embellished
     3: belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler; "golden age of
        imperial splendor"; "purple tyrant"; "regal attire";
        "treated with royal acclaim"; "the royal carriage of a
        stag's head" syn: imperial, majestic, regal, royal
     n 1: a chromatic color between red and blue syn: purpleness, empurpled
     2: of imperial status; "he was born to the purple"
     v 1: become purple
     2: color purple syn: empurple, purpurate
see also:
violet purplish embellished empurpled over-embellished imperial 
majestic regal royal purpleness empurple 
purpurate 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

119 moby thesaurus words for "purple":
   mars violet, tyrian purple, adorned, amethyst, amethystine,
   befrilled, blue, bombastic, broad, cap of dignity,
   cap of maintenance, clematis, colored, coronet, crown, dahlia,
   damson, decorated, diadem, dynastic, embellished, embroidered,
   ermine, fancy, festooned, figurative, figured, florid, flowery,
   fuchsia, grape, great seal, heliotrope, high-flown, hyacinth,
   imperatorial, imperatorious, imperial, imperial purple, imperious,
   kinglike, kingly, lavender, lilac, livid, lividity, lividness,
   lush, luxuriant, magenta, majestic, mallow, mauve, monarchal,
   monarchial, monarchic, monsignor, mulberry, off-color, orb, orchid,
   ornate, overblown, overcharged, overloaded, pansy, pansy violet,
   pansy-purple, plum, plum-colored, plum-purple, pompous,
   pontiff purple, princelike, princely, privy seal, purple pall,
   purpleness, purplescent, purpliness, purplish, purplishness,
   purply, purpurate, purpure, purpureal, purpurean, purpureous,
   queenlike, queenly, racy, raisin-colored, regal, regal purple,
   regalia, robe of state, rod, rod of empire, royal, royal crown,
   royal purple, salty, scepter, seal, shady, signet, solferino,
   sovereign, spicy, stilted, suggestive, tiara, triple plume, turgid,
   uraeus, violaceous, violet, wicked, wine purple

Purple >> P Words
Purple, definition of term: Purple
purple_pag1.html

Purple Martin >> P Words
Purple Martin, definition of term: Purple Martin
purple+martin_pag1.html

Purple Finch >> P Words
Purple Finch, definition of term: Purple Finch
purple+finch_pag1.html

Purple Heart >> P Words
Purple Heart, definition of term: Purple Heart
purple+heart_pag1.html