lavender
a pale bluish purple.
any Old World plant or shrub belonging to the genus Lavandula, of the mint family, especially L. angustifolia, having spikes of fragrant, pale purple flowers.
the dried flowers or other parts of this plant placed among linen, clothes, etc., for scent or as a preservative.
Also called lav·en·der wa·ter [lav-uhn-der waw-ter, wot-er] /ˈlæv ən dər ˌwɔ tər, ˌwɒt ər/ toilet water, aftershave, or the like, made with a solution of oil of lavender.
of the color lavender.
Informal.
of or relating to gay male sexual orientation.
(of a man) gay or effeminate.
Origin of lavender
1Words Nearby lavender
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lavender in a sentence
New Orleanians loved the frilly, pale lavender flowers and gradually planted them as decorations around the city in garden ponds.
Lake Bacon: The Story of The Man Who Wanted Us to Eat Mississippi Hippos | Jon Mooallem | August 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTo accompany breakfast or lunch, there's hibiscus lavender tea or locally roasted Bumper Crop coffee.
Spaghetti for Breakfast?! Not So Crazy at This Idaho Farm Café | Jane & Michael Stern | August 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTElias, the translator, knocks and a woman in a blue sweater-vest and lavender crocs answers.
Also: pastel pink-and-lavender paint jobs, festooned with hearts and flowers.
lavender is very calming and can help settle your nerves, which explains why so many baby soaps come in lavender scent.
Clean your tube regularly, and your amber mouthpiece with a feather dipped in spirits of lavender.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.Here was a light-blue pair; there were some lavender, some all black and various shades of tan and gray.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinShe looked very neat and dainty as she sat there in her white lace cap and her lavender dress.
Scattergood Baines | Clarence Budington KellandShe was waving a twig of lavender, and little Martha was making grabs at it, and laughing her gurgling laugh of babyish glee.
The Daughters of Danaus | Mona CairdAs he entered, one of the maids rose from beside her mistress, bearing away the silver bowl of lavender water.
God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
British Dictionary definitions for lavender
/ (ˈlævəndə) /
any of various perennial shrubs or herbaceous plants of the genus Lavandula, esp L. vera, cultivated for its mauve or blue flowers and as the source of a fragrant oil (oil of lavender): family Lamiaceae (labiates): See also spike lavender Compare sea lavender
the dried parts of L. vera, used to perfume clothes
a pale or light bluish-purple to a very pale violet colour
(as adjective): lavender socks
perfume scented with lavender
(modifier) informal of or relating to homosexuality: lavender language
Origin of lavender
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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