mauve
noun
- pale purple colour
adjective
- mauve colour
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /məʊv/ / /mɔv/ / /moʊv/
adj
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.
- Having a pale purple colour.
“[A]long their time-marked walls wistaria threw patches of mauve blossom.”
noun
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.
- A rich purple synthetic dye, which faded easily, briefly popular c. 1859‒1873 and now called mauveine.
- A pale purple or violet colour, like the colour of the dye after it has faded.
“Never trust a woman who wears mauve, whatever her age may be, or a woman over thirty-five who is fond of pink ribbons.”