Question: I've come across a quote by Teddy Roosevelt which shows his admiration for Alexander Hamilton. It uses the phrase "the touch of the purple," but supplies little hint as to what it means.

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> Roosevelt saw in Hamilton “the touch of the heroic, the touch of the
>  purple, the touch of the gallant.”
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The best explanation I've found is a possible religious meaning, gleaned from the phrase's inclusion in [this Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozzetta). I am also aware that purple has a connotation of royalty or nobility in that, some centuries ago, purple dyes were extravagant and therefore used as a symbol of wealth and power. I'm not entirely convinced that either of these are the sense that Roosevelt was invoking.

Answer: 
Here, **purple** is used as noun. So, if you check the definition of purple according to the Merriam Webster especially 2 of 3 entry and particularly 2a, you will find exquisite definition of **purple**: 

<https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purple>

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> imperial or regal rank or power 
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Backed by Google definition: 

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> > a crimson dye obtained from some molluscs, formerly used for fabric worn by an emperor or senior magistrate in ancient Rome or Byzantium.
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I take it to mean an aristocratic or lordly quality; he sees in Hamilton something lofty, as if he towers above others.