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bluenose

 - 2 dictionary results

blue⋅nose

[bloo-nohz]
–noun
1. a puritanical person; prude.
2. (initial capital letter) Also, Blue Nose. Canadian. an inhabitant of the Maritime Provinces, esp. of Nova Scotia.
3. Nautical Slang.
a. a sailing vessel of Nova Scotia.
b. a seaman on such a vessel.

Origin:
1780–85 (def. 2, 3); 1925–30, Americanism (def. 1); blue + nose; (def. 1) cf. blue law, etc.; (def. 2, 3) orig. a derisive name for a person residing in Nova Scotia before the Loyalists' arrival; allegedly so called from a variety of potato with a bluish tip, though there is no certain evidence for this or any of various other explanations of the name
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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blue·nose   (blōō'nōz')   
n.  
  1. A puritanical person: "Bluenoses demand restraint against the porn and violence that are the staple of popular culture" (Charles Krauthammer).

  2. often Bluenose Canadian A native or inhabitant of Nova Scotia.

blue'nosed' adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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