purpurous

English

WOTD – 12 March 2016

Etymology

From Latin purpura +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈpɜː(ɹ)pəɹəs/, /ˈpɜː(ɹ)pjʊəɹəs/
Audio (Southern England): (file)

Adjective

purpurous (comparative more purpurous, superlative most purpurous)

(archaic) Purple.
- 1979, Giorgio Marcuzzi, quoting Alcaeus of Mytilene, “Fresh Water Environments”, in European Ecosystems (Biogeographica; 15), The Hague, Boston, Mass., London: Dr. W. Junk B.V., →DOI, →ISBN, page 666:
  Ebrus – the most beautiful of the rivers – / which in Thrace flowest with a strong sound, / along lands famous for their horses – / thou goest down silent to the purpurous sea near Ainos […]
(medicine, archaic) Of or relating to purpura: Synonym of purpuric.
- 1838 October 1, James Y[oung] Simpson, “Art VI.—Contributions to Intra-Uterine Pathology.—Part I. Notices of Cases of Peritonitis in the Fœtus in Utero.”, in James Watt Black, editor, The Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal: Exhibiting a Concise View of the Latest and Most Important Discoveries in Medicine, Surgery, and Pharmacy, volume 50, number CXXXVII, Edinburgh: Printed for Edwin and Charles Black; Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans, London: John Cumming, and Hodges & Smith, Dublin, →OCLC, page 395:
  The cavities of the pleuræ and pericardium were filled with a reddish serous effusion; but these membranes, with the exception of numerous points of purpurous effusion beneath them, were otherwise quite healthy. The purpurous spots were seen both under the pleura pulmonalis and costalis.
- 1842, George Burrows, “Hæmorrhage from the Urinary Organs, or Hæmaturia”, in Alexander Tweedie, W[illiam] W[ood] Gerhard, editors, A System of Practical Medicine Comprised in a Series of Original Dissertations. [...] In Three Volumes, 2nd American edition, volumes III (Digestive, Urinary, and Uterine Organs, Hæmorrhage, Dropsy, Rheumatism, Gout.—Formulary, etc.), Philadelphia, Pa.: Lee & Blanchard, →OCLC, page 411:
  [Gabriel] Andral states that he was in attendance upon an old woman suffering from a cancerous affection of the stomach, and that, a fortnight before her death, numerous purpurous spots appeared upon the skin, and at the same time a notable quantity of blood escaped daily with her urine.
- 1865, S[amuel] O[sborne] Habershon, “Clinical Remarks on Diseases of the Skin”, in Samuel Wilks, editor, Guy's Hospital Reports (Third Series), volume XI, London: John Churchill and Sons, New Burlington Street, →OCLC, page 233:
  A very interesting form of purpura is that arising from congenital peculiarity:—Four or five years ago a poor mother brought her child, then aged 2 years, affected with this form of disease. The least blow upon the limbs produced effusions of blood, and a purpurous spot was the result, which soon resembled a large bruise; any puncture of the skin was followed by uncontrollable hæmorrhage; the gums very readily bled. […] During the last winter, the child was again brought to me, but in a dying state, […] The poor mother afterwards came in great distress, because a medical practitioner, who had been called in to see the child, not recognising the nature of the malady, said there must be a coroner's inquest; the purpurous vibices upon the body being mistaken for the bruises of ill treatment.