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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Blue \Blue\ (bl[=u]), a. [Compar. {Bluer} (bl[=u]"[~e]r);
superl. {Bluest}.] [OE. bla, blo, blew, blue, livid, black,
fr. Icel.bl[=a]r livid; akin to Dan. blaa blue, Sw. bl[*a],
D. blauw, OHG. bl[=a]o, G. blau; but influenced in form by F.
bleu, from OHG. bl[=a]o.]
1. Having the color of the clear sky, or a hue resembling it,
whether lighter or darker; as, the deep, blue sea; as blue
as a sapphire; blue violets. "The blue firmament."
--Milton.
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2. Pale, without redness or glare, -- said of a flame; hence,
of the color of burning brimstone, betokening the presence
of ghosts or devils; as, the candle burns blue; the air
was blue with oaths.
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3. Low in spirits; melancholy; as, to feel blue.
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4. Suited to produce low spirits; gloomy in prospect; as,
thongs looked blue. [Colloq.]
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5. Severe or over strict in morals; gloom; as, blue and sour
religionists; suiting one who is over strict in morals;
inculcating an impracticable, severe, or gloomy mortality;
as, blue laws.
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6. Literary; -- applied to women; -- an abbreviation of
{bluestocking}. [Colloq.]
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The ladies were very blue and well informed.
--Thackeray.
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{Blue asbestus}. See {Crocidolite}.

{Blue black}, of, or having, a very dark blue color, almost
black.

{Blue blood}. See under {Blood}.

{Blue buck} (Zool.), a small South African antelope
({Cephalophus pygm[ae]us}); also applied to a larger
species ({[AE]goceras leucoph[ae]us}); the blaubok.

{Blue cod} (Zool.), the buffalo cod.

{Blue crab} (Zool.), the common edible crab of the Atlantic
coast of the United States ({Callinectes hastatus}).

{Blue curls} (Bot.), a common plant ({Trichostema
dichotomum}), resembling pennyroyal, and hence called also
{bastard pennyroyal}.

{Blue devils}, apparitions supposed to be seen by persons
suffering with {delirium tremens}; hence, very low
spirits. "Can Gumbo shut the hall door upon blue devils,
or lay them all in a red sea of claret?" --Thackeray.

{Blue gage}. See under {Gage}, a plum.

{Blue gum}, an Australian myrtaceous tree ({Eucalyptus
globulus}), of the loftiest proportions, now cultivated in
tropical and warm temperate regions for its timber, and as
a protection against malaria. The essential oil is
beginning to be used in medicine. The timber is very
useful. See {Eucalyptus}.

{Blue jack}, {Blue stone}, blue vitriol; sulphate of copper.


{Blue jacket}, a man-of war's man; a sailor wearing a naval
uniform.

{Blue jaundice}. See under {Jaundice}.

{Blue laws}, a name first used in the eighteenth century to
describe certain supposititious laws of extreme rigor
reported to have been enacted in New Haven; hence, any
puritanical laws. [U. S.]

{Blue light}, a composition which burns with a brilliant blue
flame; -- used in pyrotechnics and as a night signal at
sea, and in military operations.

{Blue mantle} (Her.), one of the four pursuivants of the
English college of arms; -- so called from the color of
his official robes.

{Blue mass}, a preparation of mercury from which is formed
the blue pill. --McElrath.

{Blue mold} or {Blue mould}, the blue fungus ({Aspergillus
glaucus}) which grows on cheese. --Brande & C.

{Blue Monday},
(a) a Monday following a Sunday of dissipation, or itself
given to dissipation (as the Monday before Lent).
(b) a Monday considered as depressing because it is a
workday in contrast to the relaxation of the weekend.


{Blue ointment} (Med.), mercurial ointment.

{Blue Peter} (British Marine), a blue flag with a white
square in the center, used as a signal for sailing, to
recall boats, etc. It is a corruption of blue repeater,
one of the British signal flags.

{Blue pill}. (Med.)
(a) A pill of prepared mercury, used as an aperient, etc.
(b) Blue mass.

{Blue ribbon}.
(a) The ribbon worn by members of the order of the Garter;
-- hence, a member of that order.
(b) Anything the attainment of which is an object of great
ambition; a distinction; a prize. "These
[scholarships] were the --blue ribbon of the college."
--Farrar.
(c) The distinctive badge of certain temperance or total
abstinence organizations, as of the --Blue ribbon
Army.

{Blue ruin}, utter ruin; also, gin. [Eng. Slang] --Carlyle.

{Blue spar} (Min.), azure spar; lazulite. See {Lazulite}.

{Blue thrush} (Zool.), a European and Asiatic thrush
({Petrocossyphus cyaneas}).

{Blue verditer}. See {Verditer}.

{Blue vitriol} (Chem.), sulphate of copper, a violet blue
crystallized salt, used in electric batteries, calico
printing, etc.

{Blue water}, the open ocean.

{Big Blue}, the International Business Machines corporation.
[Wall Street slang.] PJC

{To look blue}, to look disheartened or dejected.

{True blue}, genuine and thorough; not modified, nor mixed;
not spurious; specifically, of uncompromising
Presbyterianism, blue being the color adopted by the
Covenanters.
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For his religion . . .
'T was Presbyterian, true blue. --Hudibras.
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Bluestocking \Blue"stock`ing\, n.
1. A literary lady; a female pedant. [Colloq.]
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Note: As explained in Boswell's "Life of Dr. Johnson", this
term is derived from the name given to certain meetings
held by ladies, in Johnson's time, for conversation
with distinguished literary men. An eminent attendant
of these assemblies was a Mr. Stillingfleet, who always
wore blue stockings. He was so much distinguished for
his conversational powers that his absence at any time
was felt to be a great loss, so that the remark became
common, "We can do nothing without the blue stockings."
Hence these meetings were sportively called
bluestocking clubs, and the ladies who attended them,
bluestockings.
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2. (Zool.) The American avocet ({Recurvirostra Americana}).
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