Nearby Words

lilac

[lahy-luhk, -lahk, -lak] Origin

li·lac

[lahy-luhk, -lahk, -lak]
noun
1.
any of various shrubs belonging to the genus Syringa, of the olive family, as S. vulgaris, having large clusters of fragrant purple or white flowers: the state flower of New Hampshire.
2.
pale reddish purple.
adjective
3.
having the color lilac.

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Lilac is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

Origin:
1615–25; < Spanish < Arabic līlak < Persian, assimilated variant of nīlak bluish, equivalent to nīl blue, indigo (< Sanskrit nīla) + -ak suffix of appurtenance
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World English Dictionary
lilac (ˈlaɪlək)
 
n
1.  Also called: syringa any of various Eurasian oleaceous shrubs or small trees of the genus Syringa, esp S. vulgaris (common lilac) which has large sprays of purple or white fragrant flowers
2.  French lilac another name for goat's-rue
3.  a.  a light or moderate purple colour, sometimes with a bluish or reddish tinge
 b.  (as adjective): a lilac carpet
 
[C17: via French from Spanish, from Arabic līlak, changed from Persian nīlak bluish, from nīl blue]

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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

lilac
1625, from Fr. lilac "shrub of genus Syringa with mauve flowers," from Sp. lilac, from Arabic lilak, from Pers. lilak, variant of nilak "bluish," from nil "indigo" (cf. Skt. nilah "dark blue"), of unknown origin. As a color name, attested from 1791; as a scent, from 1895.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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