a. and sb. [ad. med.L. ultrāmarīn-us, f. L. ultrā beyond + mare sea: see ULTRA-. Cf. Sp. and Pg. ultramarino, It. oltramarino, OF. ultremarin, oltre- (obs. F. outremarin); also as sb. (sense B. 1) Sp. ultramarino, G., Sw., Da. ultramarin, Du. -marijn; Sp., Pg. ultramar, F. outremer.]
A. adj. 1. Situated beyond the sea. Now rare.
1652. French, Yorksh. Spa, vii. 65. In a moorish, boggie ground, ariseth a Spring of a Vitrioline tast…, resembling much those ultramarine Spaws.
1681. H. Nevile, Plato Rediv., 47. In the several Countries of Padua, Brescia, Vicenza, Verona,… as also in the Ultramarine Provinces.
1769. Burke, Obs. Pres. St. Nat., Wks. 1842, I. 80. He tells them that the loss of her ultramarine dominions lessens her expences.
1828. Sir W. Napier, Penins. War, I. ii. I. 15. The ultramarine dominions of the exiled family to be equally divided between the contracting parties.
1852. Grote, Greece, II. lxxix. X. 419. The project of stretching across the Ægean for ultramarine dependencies.
2. (See defs.)
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Ultramarine, coming from beyond Sea.
1802. James, Milit. Dict., Ultramarine, from beyond the sea—foreign.
3. Ultramarine blue (or color): a. A pigment or coloring matter of various shades of blue, originally obtained from the mineral lapis lazuli and named with reference to the foreign origin of this. († Also with green.)
So Sp. and Pg. azul ultramarino, It. azzurro oltremarino.
1686. Aglionby, Painting Illustr., I. 23. In imploying of fine Colours, as fine lacks Ultra Marine Green, &c.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 332. From this Stone [sc. Lapis Lazuli] is made that Colour they name Ultra-marine Blue.
a. 1775. J. Hill (Jod.). To it the painters are indebted for their beautiful ultramarine colour, which is by a calcination of lapis lazuli.
1816. P. Cleaveland, Min., 258. Its chief use is to furnish the ultramarine blue, a pigment remarkable for the durability of its color.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 222/1. If the body is to be blue, mix ultramarine blue with one half raw oil and turpentine.
b. A blue color like that of this pigment.
1781. [see next].
1845. Florist’s Jrnl., 229. It differs materially in the colour, the powers of the present species being a bright ultra-marine blue.
1882. Garden, 22 April, 283/3. The glowing ultramarine blue of the flowers is strikingly brilliant.
4. Of a special deep-blue color. (Cf. prec.)
1781. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, I. 413. Ultramarine R[oller]…. The whole plumage of a rich glossy ultramarine blue. Ibid. (1783), III. 301. Ultramarine F[inch]. The plumage wholly of a fine deep blue.
1867. Miss Braddon, Rupert Godwin, I. i. 5. The deep crimson of the brick-work,… sharply defined against an ultramarine sky.
B. sb. 1. = A. 3.
1598. Haydocke, trans. Lomazzo’s Artes, III. v. 101. Of Blewes,… the greater part of Azures, specially the vltramarine.
c. 1650. Norgate, Miniatura (1919), 49. The rest of the skie … is made with Ultramarine and White.
1677. Grew, Disc. Colours Plants, iii. § 28. The Flower of Lathyrus or Parseverlasting … is changed from a Peach, to as pure a Blew, as the best Vltramarine.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, 229. Take Indigo, Vltramarine, or any Blew, and mix it with White, and it makes a Skie to what degree you please.
1731. Gentl. Mag., I. 449. Capt. Goslin presented some blue Colour, with a Specimen which shew’d it to exceed the common Ultramarine.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), II. 234. It would be a very long time before the worth of 200l. in ultramarine could be employed in miniatures.
1816. P. Cleaveland, Min., 258. The particles of the ultramarine, being thus rendered smooth and slippery, escape.
1859. R. Hunt, Guide Mus. Pract. Geol. (ed. 2), 256. An artificial ultramarine is prepared by mixing clay, carbonate of soda, and sulphur.
1880. J. Dunbar, Pract. Papermaker, 60. The above tests are … a safeguard to any paper-maker in buying ultramarines.
attrib. 1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 1262. The remainder of the mass … yields an inferior pigment, called ultramarine ashes.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 937. A pale blue powder called ultramarine ash.
1881. Instr. Census Clerks (1885), 58. Ultramarine Maker. Verditer Maker.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIII. 721/2. There are very few ultramarine works in other countries, and none, as far as we know, in Great Britain.
b. With distinguishing terms (see quots.).
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. There is another Kind, call’d Common or Dutch Ultramarine.
1867. Chambers’ Encycl., IX. 625. The term Yellow Ultramarine is sometimes given commercially to chromate of baryta, a yellow insoluble powder used as a pigment.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 937. The green ultramarine thus obtained is ground in a mill, and then roasted, with addition of sulphur, to convert it into blue ultramarine.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., I. 221/2. The best imitation, or German ultramarine. Ibid., III. 20/1. The blue colour of artificial ultramarine.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIII. 722/1. Silica ultramarine is soda-ash ultramarine in whose preparation a quantity of finely divided silica … has been added. Ibid. Since 1873 the Nuremberg works have been producing four varieties of magnificently violet ultramarine.
2. = A. 3 b.
1695. Dryden, trans. Dufresnoy’s Art Paint., § 354. Red Oker is one of the most heavy Colours…. Ultramarine, or azure, is very light and a very sweet Colour.
1696. Patrick, Comm. Exod., xxv. (1697), 479. Maimonides expresses it the Colour of the Firmament; and Kimchi calls it ultramarine.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. iv. 34. The lake at some distance was of a deep ultramarine.
1868. W. S. O., trans. Figuier’s Ocean World, i. (1872), 13. The ocean, seen by reflection, presents a fine azure blue or ultramarine.
So † Ultramarinish a., = prec. A. 3. Obs.
1667. Denham, Direct. Paint., I. iv. Use nothing but Ultra-Marinish Blue.
