marine bluen.adj.
/məˈriːn ˈbluː/, U.S. /məˈrin ˈblu/ A. n.
A dark blue colour; spec. the colour associated with the uniform of the Royal Marines. Cf. navy blue n.
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the world > matter > colour > named colours > blue or blueness > [noun] > dark blue
bicec1430
navy blue1780
marine blue1803
midnight blue1810
Adelaide1831
Oxford blue1842
butcher's blue1851
gros bleu1870
marine1871
gendarme blue1884
navy1884
butcher1892
matelot1927
1803 J. Farington Diary 16 Apr. (1923) II. xxvi. 92 He prefers the Hue of the Barberini Claude, and thinks the Sea of the other Marine Blue, not the No colour of the Barberini.
1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 3/1 Cashmere... All the fashionable colors..black, marine blue, light blue.
1910 Encycl. Brit. VIII. 746/2 The following is a list of the more important basic colours derived from coal-tar..marine blue, indoïne blue, [etc.].
1925 E. Sitwell et al. Poor Young People 2 The colours most in favour are marine Blue,..myrtle green.
1930 A. Maerz & M. R. Paul Dict. Color 168/1 In the early nineteenth century there became popular in the general textile field a color adapted from the uniforms of sailors. This color seems first to have been called Marine Blue, followed shortly by the name Navy Blue. The color was long dyed with indigo.
1991 DIY Mag. (BNC) Sept. 41 The..slatting..is available in eight colours: black, white, red, grey, eggshell, flint, pink, and marine blue.
B. adj.
Of a dark blue colour.
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1873 Young Englishwoman 4 78/1 I should suggest..one polonaise of black cashmere..and one of deep marine blue vigogne.
1934 Times 30 Nov. 20/2 The Queen of Denmark's dress and..coat were both of deep marine-blue velvet.
1961 H. E. Bates Now sleeps Crimson Petal 43 The marine blue thorns of sea-thistle were touched with sepia rose.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1803