| E. Cobham Brewer 18101897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Meliban Dye. | | |
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A rich purple. Meliba, in Thessaly, was famous for the ostrum, a fish used in dyeing purple. | 1 |
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| A military vest of purple flowed, |
| Lovelier than Meliban. | |
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Milton: Paradise Lost, xi. 242. |
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