ultramarine
ultramarine Lexical Profile
ultramarine Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of a brilliant, deep blue color characteristic of the pigment made from lapis lazuli.
"The artist painted the evening sky in rich, ultramarine tones that contrasted sharply with the golden wheat fields."
Situated or originating beyond the sea; foreign or overseas.
"During the sixteenth century, European monarchs heavily financed expeditions to establish ultramarine colonies."
• noun
A vivid, deep blue pigment originally obtained by grinding lapis lazuli and now typically synthesized for use in paints and dyes, or the brilliant blue color itself.
"Renaissance masters reserved genuine ultramarine for the robes of central religious figures because the pigment was more expensive than gold."
• Rhymes for ultramarine
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin ultramarinus, literally meaning 'beyond the sea' (from ultra- 'beyond' + marinus 'of the sea'), because the precious lapis lazuli stone used to grind the original blue pigment was imported into Europe by sea from mines in Asia.