Purple Heart
Preserved but no longer current.
A U.S. army medal awarded for wounds received by enemy action while on active service. It consists of a silver heart bear- ing the effigy of George Washington, sus- pended from a purple ribbon with white edges.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Purple Heart” mean?
A U.S. army medal awarded for wounds received by enemy action while on active service. It consists of a silver heart bear- ing the effigy of George Washington, sus- pended from a purple ribbon with white edges.
Is “Purple Heart” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.