bleu
UK[blø]US[bluː]
n
a type of blue cheese, especially a soft, creamy french cheese with a bluish mold.
n
a dark blue color.
Etymology
the word "bleu" entered english as a direct borrowing from the french adjective "bleu," meaning "blue." the french term itself evolved from old french "blo," "blef," which derived from frankish, a germanic language, likely from the proto-germanic blēwaz. this germanic root is connected to the proto-indo-european bʰlē-wos, from the base bʰel- meaning "to shine, flash, burn," which also gave rise to words for colors like pale yellow and blue. in english, "bleu" retains its french spelling and is used specifically to denote french blue cheeses or, in some contexts, the color blue itself, carrying connotations of its gourmet and european origin.
Analysis
this word is a direct loanword from french, where "bleu" means "blue". it is not segmented into smaller meaningful parts within english.
Examples
the cheese board featured a ripe brie and a pungent bleu.
she painted the accent wall in a deep bleu.
the recipe calls for crumbled bleu cheese on the salad.