: a person who advocates a rigorous moral code
Synonyms
Examples of bluenose in a Sentence
the editorial lambasts those bluenoses who feel they have the moral authority to dictate how other people should conduct themselves in private
Recent Examples on the Web
Past practice and legal tradition relegated the act, which Congress passed at the behest of Anthony Comstock, one of the outstanding bluenoses of American history, to the scrap heap long ago.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
Key to these plans is the Comstock Act, the 19th-century anti-vice law named for the crusading bluenose Anthony Comstock, who persecuted Margaret Sanger, arrested thousands, and boasted of driving 15 of his targets to suicide.
—Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Hers is a tale of pink paint, bluenoses and brown coverup.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
The National Endowment for the Arts, created as part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society in 1965, is a perennial target of partisan bluenoses accusing it of all varieties of offenses against public morals and sensitivities, though efforts to abolish it have consistently failed.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023
The Comstock Act was the brainchild of Anthony Comstock, one of the outstanding bluenoses of American history.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2023
But unlike some of his fellow combatants, Mr. Leo was too funny a writer to come off as a complete bluenose.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
Bluenoses were bound to be pushed out of joint, so to speak, by a festival that was more Burning Man than County Fair.
—Logan Jenkins, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 June 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
Key to these plans is the Comstock Act, the 19th-century anti-vice law named for the crusading bluenose Anthony Comstock, who persecuted Margaret Sanger, arrested thousands, and boasted of driving 15 of his targets to suicide.
—Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Hers is a tale of pink paint, bluenoses and brown coverup.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
The National Endowment for the Arts, created as part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society in 1965, is a perennial target of partisan bluenoses accusing it of all varieties of offenses against public morals and sensitivities, though efforts to abolish it have consistently failed.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023
The Comstock Act was the brainchild of Anthony Comstock, one of the outstanding bluenoses of American history.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2023
But unlike some of his fellow combatants, Mr. Leo was too funny a writer to come off as a complete bluenose.
—New York Times, 11 May 2022
Bluenoses were bound to be pushed out of joint, so to speak, by a festival that was more Burning Man than County Fair.
—Logan Jenkins, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 June 2017
Dictionary Entries Near bluenose
Cite this Entry
“Bluenose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bluenose. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share