blues

1. melancholic music of black American folk origin, typically in a twelve-bar sequence. It developed in the rural southern US towards the end of the 19th century, finding a wider audience in the 1940s, as black people migrated to the cities. This urban blues gave rise to rhythm and blues and rock and roll.

   blues has always had a strong following in Australia

   a blues singer

2. feelings of melancholy, sadness, or depression.

   she's got the blues

mid 18th century (in blues (sense 2)): elliptically from blue devils ‘depression or delirium tremens’.

1. blue colour or pigment.

   she was dressed in blue

   the dark blue of his eyes

   armchairs in pastel blues and greens

2. a small butterfly, the male of which is predominantly blue while the female is typically brown.
3. a person who has represented Cambridge University (a Cambridge blue ) or Oxford University (an Oxford blue ) at a particular sport in a match between the two universities.

   a flyweight boxing blue

4. an argument or fight.

   did you have a blue or what?

5. a mistake.

   his tactical blue in saying the opposition wasn't ready to govern

6. a nickname for a red-headed person.

   only an Aussie could make a red-headed man ‘Blue.’

7. a supporter of the Conservative Party.

1. make or become blue.

   the light dims, bluing the retina

   blued paper

   the day would haze, the air bluing with afternoon

2. wash (white clothes) with bluing.

   they blued the shirts and starched the uniforms

Middle English: from Old French bleu, ultimately of Germanic origin and related to Old English blǣwen ‘blue’ and Old Norse blár ‘dark blue’ (see also blaeberry).

verb, 3rd person present

squander or recklessly spend (money).

mid 19th century: perhaps a variant of blow¹.