ultramarine

If you’re imagining ultramarine as “a deep-blue colour,” you are correct. In Medieval Latin, from which this word derives, ultramarinus literally means “beyond the sea.” Ultramarine has been in use in English since the late 1500s.

tyrian purple

Looking for “a vivid, purplish red”? Tyrian purple is your colour. Tyrian purple was highly prized during the Byzantine empire, in part because of how difficult it was to obtain. The term Tyrian purple has been in use in English since the late 1500s.

dragon’s blood

This shade of red has a great name, but we’re sorry to disappoint you: it doesn’t actually come from dragons. Dragon’s blood is also sometimes called Pompeian red, and it’s a “dull, grayish red.”  It was first recorded in English in the 1590s.

smaragdine

If something is “emerald-green in colour,” you can call it smaragdine. While this term is more rare, smaragd actually means “emerald” in Middle English. It’s likely that English speakers borrowed the term from the Greek smarágdinos. The term has a long history and was first recorded in English as early as 1350.

puce

In French, puce means “flea” or “flea-coloured.” In English, it’s most often used to describe “a dark or brownish purple.” Historically, it may also have been associated with the colour of the scab or mark that a flea bite leaves behind. In any case, this creepy, crawly colour word has existed in English since the 1780s.

ponceau

You might see ponceau during a sunset. It means “a vivid reddish-orange colour.” It may also make you think of poppies, as it likely derives from the Old French pouncel, or “poppy.” It was first recorded in English as early as 1825.