Well attestedNamed through a historical place-name
magenta
noun · first attested 1859
The color is named for a battle in Lombardy.
A purplish-red dye and the color it produces.
Record
- Relationship
- Named through a historical place-name
- Confidence
- Well attestedThe place link is the standard scholarly account.
- Attested
- 1859
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Magenta
- Step 2
Battle of Magenta
- In English
magenta
An aniline dye discovered in 1859 was named after the Battle of Magenta, fought that year in Lombardy. The town’s name became a color, far from any pigment native to the place.
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