in a general sense, the blue colour of the sky. See SKY and BLUE.

Azure, among painters. This word, which at present signifies in general a fine blue colour, was formerly applied to lapis lazuli, called azure stone, and to the blue prepared from it. But since a blue has been extracted from cobalt, custom has applied to it the name of azure, although it differs considerably from the former, and is incapable of being used for the same purposes, and particularly for painting in oil. The former at present is called lapis lazuli, or only lapis; and the blue prepared from it for painting in oil, is called ultramarine.—The name azure is generally applied to the blue glas made from the earth of cobalt and vitrifiable matters. This glas, which is called smalt when in masses, is called azure only when it is reduced to a fine powder. Several kinds of azure are distinguished, according to its degrees of beauty, by the names of fine azure, powdered azure, and azure of four fires. In general, the more intense the colour, and the finer the powder, the more beautiful and dear it is. Azure is employed to colour starch; hence it has also been called starch blue. It is used for painting with colours, and for a blue enamel.

Heraldry, the blue colour in the arms of any person below the rank of a baron. In the escutcheon of a nobleman, it is called sapphire; and in that of a sovereign prince, Jupiter. In engraving, this colour is expressed by lines or strokes drawn horizontally.—This colour may signify Justice, Perseverance, and Vigilance; but according to G. Leigh, when compounded with

<table> <tr> <th>Or</th> <th>Cheerfulness.</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Arg.</th> <th>Vigilance.</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Gul.</th> <th>Readiness.</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Ver.</th> <th>Enterprise.</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Pur.</th> <th>Goodness.</th> </tr> <tr> <th>Sab.</th> <th>Mournfulness.</th> </tr> </table>

The French heralds, M. Upton, and his followers, rank this colour before gules.