Cambridge blue

English

Etymology

Perhaps related to the colour of a body of water: Cambridge has a famous boating club, and at one time used light blue as a school colour. "The greening of Cambridge blue is often attributed to Alf Twinn, university boatman between 1934 and 1984, who, either because he wanted to distinguish the rowing colours from the rugby union team's, or because his eyesight was deteriorating, began adding subtle amounts of yellow to the blue paint used for oar blades."

Noun

Cambridge blue (countable and uncountable, plural Cambridge blues)

1. A light, bright blue.

   Cambridge blue:  

   • 1991, David Squire, The complete guide to using color in your garden:

     There are both trailing and compact border edging varieties, in a range of colors. The border-edging compact types include 'Cambridge Blue' (pale blue), 'Crystal Palace' (dark blue) and 'Mrs. Clibran' (brilliant blue).

2. A medium spring green colour used by sports teams from the University of Cambridge.

   Cambridge blue:  

Adjective

Cambridge blue (not comparable)

1. Of a light bright blue color.

See also

• (blues) blue; Alice blue, aqua, aquamarine, azure, baby blue, beryl, bice, bice blue, blue green, blue violet, blueberry, cadet blue, Cambridge blue, cerulean, cobalt blue, Copenhagen blue, cornflower, cornflower blue, cyan, dark blue, Dodger blue, duck-egg blue, eggshell blue, electric blue, gentian blue, ice blue, lapis lazuli, light blue, lovat, mazarine, midnight blue, navy, Nile blue, Oxford blue, peacock blue, petrol blue, powder blue, Prussian blue, robin's-egg blue, royal blue, sapphire, saxe blue, slate blue, sky blue, teal, turquoise, ultramarine, Wedgwood blue, zaffre ^{(Category: en:Blues)}