What is "azure"

Azure \Az"ure\, v. t. To color blue.

Azure \Az"ure\ (?; 277), a. [F. & OSp. azur, Sp. azul, through Ar. from Per. l[=a]jaward, or l[=a]juward, lapis lazuli, a blue color, l[=a]jaward[=i], l[=a]juward[=i], azure, cerulean, the initial l having been dropped, perhaps by the influence of the Ar. azr-aq azure, blue. Cf. G. lasur, lasurstein, azure color, azure stone, and NL. lapis lazuli.] Sky-blue; resembling the clear blue color of the unclouded sky; cerulean; also, cloudless.

Azure stone (Min.), the lapis lazuli; also, the lazulite.

Azure \Az"ure\, n.

1. The lapis lazuli. [Obs.]

2. The clear blue color of the sky; also, a pigment or dye of this color. ``In robes of azure.''
   --Wordsworth.

3. The blue vault above; the unclouded sky.

   Not like those steps On heaven's azure.
   --Milton.

4. (Her.) A blue color, represented in engraving by horizontal parallel lines.

early 14c., from Old French azur, asur, a color name, from a false separation of Arabic (al)-lazaward "lapis lazuli," as though the -l- were the French article l'. The Arabic name is from Persian lajward, from Lajward, a place in Turkestan, mentioned by Marco Polo, where the stone was collected.

1. 1 Sky-blue; resembling the clear blue colour of the unclouded sky; cerulean; also, cloudless. 2 (context tincture English) In blazon, of the colour blue. alt. 1 Sky-blue; resembling the clear blue colour of the unclouded sky; cerulean; also, cloudless. 2 (context tincture English) In blazon, of the colour blue. n. 1 (context tincture English) A blue colour on a coat of arms, represented in engraving by horizontal parallel lines. 2 The clear blue colour of the sky; also, a pigment or dye of this colour. 3 (context poetic English) The unclouded sky; the blue vault above. 4 lapis lazuli. v

2. (context transitive English) To colour blue.

adj. of a deep somewhat purplish blue color similar to that of a clear October sky; "October's bright blue weather" [syn: cerulean, sky-blue, bright blue]

1. n. a light shade of blue [syn: cerulean, sapphire, lazuline, sky-blue]

2. v. color azure; "Morning azured the village"

Azure may refer to:

Azure is a variation of blue that is often described as the color of the sky on a clear summer's day.

On the RGB color wheel, "azure" (color #007FFF) is defined as the color at 210 degrees, i.e., the hue halfway between blue and cyan. In the RGB color model, used to create all the colors on a television or computer screen, azure is created by adding a little green light to blue light. The complementary color of azure is orange.

In the X11 color system which became a standard for early web colors, azure is depicted as a pale cyan.

In heraldry, azure (, or ) is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else is marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation.

The term azure derives from the name of the deep blue stone now called lapis lazuli (stone of Lazhward). The word was adopted into Old French by the 12th century, after which the word passed into use in the blazon of coats of arms.

As an heraldic colour, the word azure simply means " blue". It is one of many concepts with both a French and Germanic word in English, the former being used by the French-speaking nobles following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and the latter being used by the commoners of Anglo-Saxon stock. So while French-speaking heralds described banners as azure, commoners simply called them blue. Because it comes from a French word that simply means "blue", a wide range of colour values is used in the depiction of azure in armory and flags.

In addition to the standard blue tincture called azure, there is a lighter blue sometimes found that is called bleu celeste or "sky blue". Neither azure nor bleu celeste is precisely defined as a particular shade of blue, but azure is consistently depicted in a much darker shade.

Sometimes, the different tinctures are said to be connected with special meanings or virtues, and represent certain elements and precious stones. Even if this is an idea mostly disregarded by serious heraldists throughout the centuries, it may be of anecdotal interest to see what they are, since the information is often asked for. Many sources give different meanings, but azure is often said to represent the following:

• Of jewels, the sapphire
• Of heavenly bodies, Jupiter (the planet Jupiter is further associated with the metal tin in traditional alchemical/occultistic lore)

The Azure is a completed 31-story modernist residential tower at McKinnon and Wolf Streets in the International Center neighborhood of Oak Lawn, Dallas, Texas ( USA). The Azure was completed in 2007.

Azure: Ideas for the Jewish Nation'' (Tchelet'') was a quarterly journal published by the Shalem Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Azure published new writing on issues relating to Jewish thought and identity, Zionism, and the State of Israel. It was published in both Hebrew and English, allowing for the exchange of ideas between Israelis and Jews worldwide.

Azure was established in 1996 and was originally published twice a year, but grew into a quarterly. The journal's first editor-in-chief was Ofir Haivry, followed by Daniel Polisar and David Hazony. Assaf Sagiv was editor in chief from 2007 to 2012.

Notable contributors have included Michael Oren, Yoram Hazony, Yossi Klein Halevi, A. B. Yehoshua, Ruth Gavison, Amnon Rubinstein, Natan Sharansky, Alain Finkielkraut, Amotz Asa-El, David Hazony, Meir Soloveichik, Claire Berlinski, Robert Bork, and Moshe Ya'alon.

The journal published Hebrew translations of classic essays by authors such as Immanuel Kant, David Hume, William James, G. K. Chesterton, Martin Luther King, Jr., C. S. Lewis, Alasdair MacIntyre, Winston Churchill, Matthew Arnold, and Leo Strauss.

The emphasis of the journal was on strengthening Jewish and Zionist values. It was highly critical of post-national and radical trends in academia, opposed judicial activism in the Israeli legal system, and supported free-market reforms in the Israeli economy.

The publication ceased operations with the Autumn issue, no. 46, alerting its subscribers to this fact mid-2012. According to the letter sent to its subscribers, "circumstances and resources no longer enable [the magazine] to continue publication."

"Azure" is a 1937 song composed by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. The composition is an example of Ellington's early use of bi- and polytonality, and some parts of it are almost atonal in nature.

Azure is a bimonthly magazine covering architecture and design published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Azure is described as "an indispensable resource for architects, designers and the design-savvy public" on its website. It was founded in 1985 by Nelda Rodger and Sergio Sgaramella, both born in Milan. In 2000, it won the Canadian National Magazine Awards' Magazine of the Year. In 2011, the magazine launched the AZ Awards. In February 2013, deputy editor Catherine Osborne was named the magazine's editor in chief, with founding editor Nelda Rodger remaining as editorial director for Azure Publishing.

Azure is an album by American flugelhornist Art Farmer and Austrian pianist Fritz Pauer featuring performances recorded in 1987 and released on the Soul Note label.