Egyptian blue

noun

A light blue pigment made from calcium copper tetrasilicate (“CaCuSi₄O₁₀”), the first artificial pigment, used by Egyptians for over 3 millennia, before dying out during the Roman Empire; one of the few alternates to lapis lazuli during ancient times.

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Meanings

nounEgyptian blue (countable and uncountable, plural Egyptian blues)

plural Egyptian blues

  1. countableuncountableA light blue pigment made from calcium copper tetrasilicate (“CaCuSi₄O₁₀”), the first artificial pigment, used by Egyptians for over 3 millennia, before dying out during the Roman Empire; one of the few alternates to lapis lazuli during ancient times.

Origin

From Egyptian + blue, from being a blue invented by Ancient Egyptians.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κύανος
  • κύανος (kúanos)Translations
Latin caeruleum, coeruleum
  • caeruleumTranslations
  • coeruleumTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

Egyptian blue. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Egyptian%20blue

MLA

“Egyptian blue.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Egyptian%20blue. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Egyptian blue,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Egyptian%20blue.

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