English Explanatory Dictionary

mauve

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A rich purple synthetic dye, which faded easily, briefly popular c. 1859‒1873 and now called mauveine.
  2. A pale purple or violet colour, like the colour of the dye after it has faded.
adj
  1. Having a pale purple colour.

Pronunciation

/məʊv/ En-uk-mauve.ogg /mɔv/ /moʊv/ /mɑv/ en-us-mauve.ogg en-us-mauve2.ogg /mov/ /moːv/

Word forms

mauve mauves mauver more mauve mauvest most mauve

Etymology

Borrowed from French mauve (“mallow”), from Latin malva, which has a purple colour. Doublet of mallow. Coined in 1856 by the chemist William Henry Perkin, when he accidentally created the first aniline dye.

Derived words

mauvaniline mauve box mauveine mauvelous mauvely mauveness mauve stinger mauvine mauvish mauvy Perkin's mauve
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