Lilac

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Lilac \Li"lac\ (l[imac]"lak), n. [Also {lilach}.] [Sp. lilac,
     lila, Ar. l[imac]lak, fr. Per. l[imac]laj, l[imac]lanj,
     l[imac]lang, n[imac]laj, n[imac]l, the indigo plant, or from
     the kindred l[imac]lak bluish, the flowers being named from
     the color. Cf. {Anil}.]
     1. (Bot.) A shrub of the genus {Syringa}. There are six


        species, natives of Europe and Asia. {Syringa vulgaris},
        the common lilac, and {Syringa Persica}, the Persian
        lilac, are frequently cultivated for the fragrance and
        beauty of their purplish or white flowers. In the British
        colonies various other shrubs have this name.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A light purplish color like that of the flower of the
        purplish lilac.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {California lilac} (Bot.), a low shrub with dense clusters of
        purplish flowers ({Ceanothus thyrsiflorus}).
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  lilac
       adj : of a pale purple color [syn: {lavender}]
       n : any of various plants of the genus Syringa having large
           panicles of usually fragrant flowers