violaceous, a.
(vaɪəˈleɪʃəs)
[f. L. violāce-us violet-coloured, f. viola viola1: see -aceous.]
1. Of a violet colour; purplish blue.
| 1657 Tomlinson Renou's Disp. 498 Incrassated by coction to make it more violaceous. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 175 [A transparent stone] of an Amethystine violaceous colour, and a genuin luster. 1790 Shaw Nat. Misc. III. F 2, The Violaceous Partridge. 1819 Stephens in Shaw Gen. Zool. XI. i. 42 The inferior tail-coverts are whitish, with violaceous tinges towards the sides. 1844 Florist's Jrnl. (1846) V. 17 The flowers differ in having the violaceous tint..mixed with the crimson in the texture of the flower. 1876 Duhring Dis. Skin 247 In color they possess a dull red or even violaceous hue. |
b. Qualifying names of colours.
| 1790 Shaw Nat. Misc. iii. F 2, Violaceous-blackish Partridge with a cast of green. 1802 ― Gen. Zool. III. ii. 521 Violaceous-brown Snake. Ibid. 549 Violaceous-green Snake. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. I. 198 Violaceous black; sides of the wing and tail-feathers white. 1854 tr. Pereira's Polarized Light (ed. 2) 268 The extraordinary violaceous blue tint which immediately precedes the yellowish red. |
2. Bot. Belonging to or resembling the order Violaceæ.
Hence vioˈlaceously adv.
| 1888 Harper's Mag. Aug. 336 The stricken flesh..changes color, spots violaceously. |