Blue gum

Blue gum
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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

3. Low in spirits; melancholy; as, to feel blue. [1913 Webster]

4. Suited to produce low spirits; gloomy in prospect; as, thongs looked blue. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

6. Literary; -- applied to women; -- an abbreviation of {bluestocking}. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

The ladies were very blue and well informed. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]

{Blue asbestus}. See {Crocidolite}.

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

{Blue blood}. See under {Blood}.

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

{Blue cod} (Zo["o]l.), the buffalo cod.

{Blue crab} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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. [1913 Webster]

For his religion . . . 'T was Presbyterian, true blue. --Hudibras. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Blue Gum — usually refers to the subspecies or the species in Eucalyptus globulus complex, however it may also refer to a number of other species of Eucalyptus in Australia. Confusingly, in Queensland it usually refers to Eucalyptus tereticornis , which is… …   Wikipedia

  • Blue gum — Gum Gum, n. [OE. gomme, gumme, F. gomme, L. gummi and commis, fr. Gr. ?, prob. from an Egyptian form kam?; cf. It. {gomma}.] 1. A vegetable secretion of many trees or plants that hardens when it exudes, but is soluble in water; as, gum arabic;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • blue gum — blue′ gum n. pln a large, extensively planted eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus[/ex] • Etymology: 1795–1805 …   From formal English to slang

  • blue gum — n. a large evergreen tree (Eucalyptus globulus) of the myrtle family, native to Australia, having smooth, deciduous bark and aromatic leaves: grown extensively in California …   English World dictionary

  • blue gum — rutulinis eukaliptas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Mirtinių šeimos dekoratyvinis, medieninis, prieskoninis, vaistinis, medingas augalas (Eucalyptus globulus), paplitęs Australijoje. Naudojamas maisto priedams (kvėpikliams) gaminti, iš jo… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • blue gum — noun tall fast growing timber tree with leaves containing a medicinal oil; young leaves are bluish • Syn: ↑fever tree, ↑Eucalyptus globulus • Hypernyms: ↑eucalyptus, ↑eucalypt, ↑eucalyptus tree * * * noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • blue gum — /ˈblu gʌm/ (say blooh gum) noun any of several species of Eucalyptus with bluish coloured bark and leaves, especially the Tasmanian blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus, and the Sydney blue gum, Eucalyptus saligna. –bluegum, adjective …  

  • blue gum — dvokusis eukaliptas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Mirtinių šeimos medieninis, medingas augalas (Eucalyptus tereticornis), paplitęs Australijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Eucalyptus tereticornis angl. blue gum; forest red gum; stinking gum… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Blue Gum Motor Inn — (Даббо,Австралия) Категория отеля: 3,5 звезд Адрес: 109 Cobra Street, 2830 Даббо …   Каталог отелей

  • Blue Gum Motel — (Willows,США) Категория отеля: 2 звездочный отель Адрес: 2637 Highway 99West, Willows, CA 95988 …   Каталог отелей

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