blue law

blue law
noun
a statute regulating work on Sundays
• Topics: ↑law, ↑jurisprudence
• Hypernyms: ↑law

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noun
Etymology: blue (I) (puritanical)
1. : one of numerous extremely rigorous laws designed to regulate morals and conduct in colonial New England
2. : a statute regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sundays

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any puritanical law that forbids certain practices, esp. drinking or working on Sunday, dancing, etc. Cf. sumptuary law.
[1775-85, Amer.]

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blue law,
any very strict law regulating personal conduct. Laws prohibiting dancing or going to the theater on Sunday are blue laws.

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n. a law prohibiting certain activities, such as shopping, on a Sunday
■ (in colonial New England) a strict religious law, particularly one preventing entertainment or leisure activities on a Sunday

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noun, pl ⋯ laws [count]
US : an old law that forbids people from doing certain things (such as working or selling alcohol) on Sundays

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ˈblue law 7 [blue law] noun usually plural
(in the US) a law that bans business and certain other activities, such as sports, on Sundays
 
Culture:
Blue laws were first introduced in colonial ↑New England and were originally printed on blue paper. Now they vary widely in different parts of the US. Although many shops open on Sundays, they often do not sell alcohol on that day because of a blue law.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • blue law — n [blue puritanical]: a statute regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sunday ◇ Existing blue laws derive from the numerous extremely rigorous laws designed to regulate morals and conduct that were enacted in colonial New England. Merriam… …   Law dictionary

  • blue law — ☆ blue law n. [said to be so named because orig. printed on blue paper] 1. any of the strict puritanical laws prevalent in colonial New England 2. a law prohibiting entertainment, business, etc. on Sunday …   English World dictionary

  • blue law — blue′ law n. 1) law any law that forbids certain practices, as doing business or dancing, on Sunday 2) any of the puritanical laws of colonial New England regulating personal conduct • Etymology: 1775–85, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • blue law — n AmE a law used in the past in the US to control activities that were considered immoral, such as drinking alcohol and working on Sundays …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Blue law — A blue law is a type of law in the United States and Canada designed to enforce moral standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping. Most have been repealed, declared… …   Wikipedia

  • blue law — any puritanical law that forbids certain practices, esp. drinking or working on Sunday, dancing, etc. Cf. sumptuary law. [1775 85, Amer.] * * * U.S. statute regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sundays. The name is said to derive from a… …   Universalium

  • blue law — noun N. Amer. a law prohibiting certain activities, such as shopping, on a Sunday. Origin C18: in ref. to strict puritanical laws in colonial New England, orig. printed on blue paper …   English new terms dictionary

  • blue law — noun A law that is intended to enforce moral standards …   Wiktionary

  • blue law — noun (C) AmE a law to control sexual morals, the drinking of alcohol, working on Sundays etc; licensing laws BrE …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • blue laws — n. Laws regulating or prohibiting certain otherwise legal activities, especially commercial activities, either on Sunday or all the time for essentially a religious reason. For example, an ordinance prohibiting the operation on Sunday of a dance… …   Law dictionary

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