Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
once in a purple moon. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
once in a purple moon, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
once in a purple moon in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
once in a purple moon you have here. The definition of the word
once in a purple moon will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
once in a purple moon, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
By analogy with once in a blue moon. First use appears c. 1924. See cite below.
Adverb
once in a purple moon (not comparable)
- (idiomatic) Extremely rarely; almost never.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:rarely
- Coordinate term: once in a blue moon
1924, New York Public Library, Dresses - Volumes 10-11, page 15:However, in spite all of our complainings, there was a distinct pleasure in shopping along this street, because once in a purple moon, one did strike a really nice model and so very reasonable, that one wondered how the manufacturer could afford to bring it out at the price.
1988, Charles Reynell (publisher), The Economist, Volume 307, Issues 7544-7556, page 11:Once in a purple moon, it may be necessary for the top men to settle some awful impasse between themselves.
2012, Robert J. Kravitz, A Collectors Guide to Postage and Fractional Currency, page 20:Again, these usually show up in major currency auctions, only once in a purple moon would a dealer have one in stock.
See also