puce (a.) Of a dark brown or brownish purple color.
Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary📕
puce pūs, adj. brownish-purple. [Fr.
puce—L. pulex, pulÄcis, a flea.]
Wikipedia
Puce is a deep rose or brownish-purple colour. Chinese dried plums can also be said to be puce coloured.
The name is from the French word "puce" which means "flea". Some poeple say that the colour name comes from the colour of a squashed flea or the colour of a flea full of blood. Other people say that colour name comes from the flea's droppings of digested blood, which spread out in deep red stain when water contacts them.
On the other hand, the colour name may refer to blue-lavender of the Pennyroyal flower, also named "puce" in French. The name comes from the use of strong-smelling Pennyroyal to ward off fleas.
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