Lewis & Short

purpŭrĕus, a, um (gen. sing. purpureaï, Lucr. 2, 52), adj. [for porphyritica, from ].

  1. I. Lit., purple-colored, purple; including very different shades of color, as red, reddish, violet, brownish, blackish, etc. (mostly poet.): vestitus, Cic. Div. 2, 16, 37: pallium, id. Verr. 2, 5, 13, § 31: flos rosae, Hor. C. 3, 15, 15: amictus, id. Ep. 1, 17, 27; Verg. A. 3, 405; Suet. Ner. 25: pannus, Hor. A. P. 15: aurora, rose-red, red, rosy, Ov. M. 3, 184: rubor (oris), id. Tr. 4, 3, 70; cf. os, Hor. C. 3, 3, 12: ignis in ore Purpureus, Stat. Achill. 1, 161: anima, i. e. blood, Verg. A. 9, 349: purpureus lunae sanguine vultus erat, Ov. Am. 1, 8, 12: purpureus venit in ora pudor, id. ib. 2, 5, 34: genae, id. ib. 1, 4, 22: papavera, Prop. 1, 20, 38: sapa, Ov. F. 4, 780: lactuca, Col. 11, 2, 26: merum, Ov. A. A. 2, 316: capillus, Verg. G. 1, 405: mustum, Prop. 3, 15 (4, 16), 17: ficus, Plin. 15, 18, 19, § 69: mare illud, quod nunc Favonio nascente purpureum videtur, i. e. blackish, dark, Cic. Ac. 2, 33, 105: fluctus, Prop. 2, 20 (3, 21), 5 (cf. the Homeric πορφύρεον κῦμα): pruna, Col. 12, 10, 4: vites, id. 3, 2, 1.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Clothed in purple (poet. for purpuratus): tyranni, Hor. C. 1, 35, 12: rex, Ov. M. 7, 102: filius, id. P. 2, 8, 50; Mart. 6, 11, 8 al.: purpureus pennis, i.e. with purple feathers upon his helmet, Verg. A. 10, 722: torus, covered with purple, Mart. 12, 17, 8.
    2. B. Brilliant, shining, bright, beautiful (poet.): olores, Hor. C. 4, 1, 10: lumen, Verg. A. 1, 590: lux, Ov. F. 6, 252: vultus Bacchi, Stat. Th. 7, 148: Amor, Ov. Am. 2, 1, 38; cf. alae, id. R. Am. 701: orbes (i. e. oculi), beautiful eyes, Val. Fl. 3, 178: ver, Col. poët. 10, 256: bracchia purpurea candidiora nive, shining, Albin. 2, 62.