Phrase guide

blue moon

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːn

1

noun

Meaning 1

An extra full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year, namely:

The third full moon in a season that contains four rather than the usual three full moons.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An extra full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year, namely:

The second of two full moons that occur in the same calendar month (a definition created by mistake in the 20th century).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The moon tinted towards blue as it appears in the sky, caused by dust or smoke in the atmosphere.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A long time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, countable, idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A bright blue, sweet-flavored ice cream that is popular in the Midwestern U.S. and is a component of Superman ice cream.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a long time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • something that happens once in blue moon almost never happens

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: long time, age, years

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: ilargi urdin — full moon
  • Catalan: lluna blava — full moon
  • French: lune bleue — full moon
  • Galician: lúa azul — full moon
  • Italian: luna blu — full moon
  • Japanese: ブルームーン (burū mūn) — full moon
  • Korean: 블루문 (beullumun) — full moon
  • Portuguese: lua azul — full moon
  • Russian: голуба́я луна́ (golubája luná) — full moon
  • Spanish: luna azul — full moon
  • Vietnamese: trăng xanh — full moon
  • Czech: šmoulová zmrzlina — ice cream
  • German: Schlumpfeis — ice cream
  • Japanese: ブルームーン (burū mūn) — ice cream
  • Korean: 블루문 (beullumun) — ice cream
  • Vietnamese: trăng xanh — ice cream