blue peter
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blue peter¹
Where it comes from
The flag, serving as a signal of recall for departure, was used by the British Navy from 1777, and the name “blue peter” had become common by the end of the 18th century. An all-blue flag had earlier seen use for the same purpose by the Dutch East India Company. While “blue” obviously refers to the dominant colour of the flag, the origin of the second part of the term, “peter”, is unknown. Often said to be a corruption of “blue repeater”, there is actually no signal flag that goes by that designation. The use of the flag to spell the letter “P” dates from 1857 and so cannot have played a role in the origin of the term.
The whist play, introduced by Lord Henry Bentinck, was named by him after the flag.
noun blue peters · Blue Peter
- A blue signal flag with a white rectangle in the centre, signifying "P". When flown alone, indicates that a ship is ready to sail, requiring all crew members and passengers to return on board. We lay out in the stream for another whole day, with the Blue Peter flying, to show that we were ready for sea, and to summon any passengers who might yet remain on shore.
- In whist, a play that calls for trumps by throwing away a higher card of a suit while holding a lower one.
verb blue peters · blue petering · blue petered · Blue Peter
- In whist, to play a blue peter.
Blue Peter²
Where it comes from
From blue + Peter, likely in reference to the color of the birds. Attested from the 18th century.
noun Blue Peters
- American coot, mudhen (Fulica americana)
- American purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus)
Blue Peter³
Where it comes from
See blue peter.
noun Blue Peters
- Alternative letter-case form of blue peter
Translations
Every language
noun signal flag
| Français | pavillon de partance |
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Talk about this word "blue peter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/blue%20peter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. blue peter. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/blue%20peter "blue peter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/blue%20peter.Cite this
@misc{blue_peter_2026,
title = {blue peter},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/blue%20peter},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
