Cambridge blue

noun

A light, bright blue.

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Meanings

nounCambridge blue (countable and uncountable, plural Cambridge blues)

plural Cambridge blues

  1. countableuncountableA light, bright blue.

    There are both trailing and compact border edging varieties, in a range of colors. The border-edging compact types include 'Cambridge Blue' (pale blue), 'Crystal Palace' (dark blue) and 'Mrs. Clibran' (brilliant blue).

    1991, David Squire, The complete guide to using color in your garden
  2. countableuncountableA medium spring green colour used by sports teams from the University of Cambridge.
adjectiveCambridge blue (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf a light bright blue color.

Origin

Perhaps related to the colour of a body of water: Cambridge has a famous boating club, and at one time used light blue as a school colour. "The greening of Cambridge blue is often attributed to Alf Twinn, university boatman between 1934 and 1984, who, either because he wanted to distinguish the rowing colours from the rugby union team's, or because his eyesight was deteriorating, began adding subtle amounts of yellow to the blue paint used for oar blades."

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Cambridge blue. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cambridge%20blue

MLA

“Cambridge blue.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cambridge%20blue. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cambridge blue,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cambridge%20blue.

Source: Cambridge blue on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.