ˌpowder-ˈblue, n. and a.
Also powder blue.
[powder n.1 1.]
1. n. Powdered smalt, esp. for use in the laundry.
| 1656 Essex County, Mass. Probate Rec. (1916) I. 233 Mace and Ribing, starch and poudarblu. 1707 Lond. Gaz. No. 4319/3 Out of the Prize, Name unknown, Smalt or Powder-Blue. 1741 Compl. Fam.-Piece i. ii. 194 Powder-blue, mix'd with the Saffron water, makes a Green. 1789 Trans. Soc. Arts I. 15 Great quantities of Smalt imported..are used under the name of Powder blue, in washing linen. 1823 J. Badcock Dom. Amusem. 151 A small quantity of fine powder-blue is sometimes added. |
2. adj. Having the deep blue colour of smalt. Now also used of light blue shades. b. n. A name for this colour.
| 1894 Westm. Gaz. 16 Aug. 3/3 A gown of powder-blue serge. 1895 C. Holland Jap. Wife (ed. 11) 121 A dressing-gown robe of blue linen, with wide sleeves and an obi of powder-blue muslin. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 18 Sept. 3/2 That melton cloth boasting a whitish surface that is very happy in powder blue, greens, and dark purples. 1923 [see cyclamen c]. 1943 A. Christie Moving Finger xi. 130 A skin-tight powder-blue evening dress. 1967 New Statesman 28 July 110/3 Their powder-blue berets bob above helmets. 1970 Cape Times 28 Oct. 19/2 (Advt.), Rambler Rogue 1970, 12 800 miles, powder blue with black upholstery, executive's car. 1973 ‘S. Harvester’ Corner of Playground iii. i. 170 A waxed red hat with a powder-blue band. 1978 Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts CXXVI. 352/1 Just as there are many different shades of blue, for example powder blue,..wedgwood blue and pacific blue, so there are many different nuances of piano tone. |
3. attrib. or as adj. Applied spec. to a type of Chinese porcelain of the Ch'ing period having a ground of powder blue. Also as powdered blue.
| 1900 F. Litchfield Pott. & Porc. vii. 114 The date of what is called ‘powdered blue’ china is said to be the Kang-he period (1661–1722). 1906 S. W. Bushell Chinese Art II. viii. 36 The finely pounded pigment is blown upon the raw body to produce, when glazed, a ‘powder blue’, or bleu fouetté ground. 1911 [see Kang-Hai, Kang-He, Kang-Hi]. 1960 R. G. Haggar Conc. Encycl. Continental Pott. & Porc. 352/2 A powdered-blue ground colour of great depth and richness was introduced at Meissen porcelain factory before 1725. 1965 [see K'ang-Hsi]. 1971 L. A. Boger Dict. World Pott. & Porc. 270/1 Powder Blue Ware, in Chinese ceramics; porcelain of the Ch'ing period, especially of the K'ang Hsi reign, which is characterized by a beautiful and rather even ground of bright soft blue with a slightly clouded appearance. |
4. Comb., as powder-blue-grey adj.
| 1952 S. Spender Learning Laughter 30 Fields and fields of powder-blue-grey cornflowers. |