violet

¹

[ vahy-uh-lit ]

noun

1. any chiefly low, stemless or leafy-stemmed plant of the genus Viola, having purple, blue, yellow, white, or variegated flowers. Compare violet family.
2. any such plant except the pansy and the viola.
3. the flower of any native, wild species of violet, as distinguished from the pansy: the state flower of Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
4. any of various similar plants of other genera.
5. reddish-blue, a color at the opposite end of the visible spectrum from red, an effect of light with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers.

adjective

1. of the color violet; reddish-blue:

   violet hats.

Violet

²

[ vahy-uh-lit ]

noun

1. a female given name.

violet

/ ˈvaɪəlɪt /

noun

1. any of various temperate perennial herbaceous plants of the violaceous genus Viola, such as V. odorata ( sweet (or garden ) violet ), typically having mauve or bluish flowers with irregular showy petals
2. any other plant of the genus Viola, such as the wild pansy
3. any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as the African violet
4. 1. any of a group of colours that vary in saturation but have the same purplish-blue hue. They lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to blue; approximate wavelength range 445–390 nanometres
   2. ( as adjective )

      a violet dress

5. a dye or pigment of or producing these colours
6. violet clothing

   dressed in violet

7. shrinking violet informal.
   shrinking violet a shy person

Derived Forms

• ˈviolet-ˌlike, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of violet¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French violete, equivalent to viole (from Latin viola violet) + -ete diminutive suffix; -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of violet¹

C14: from Old French violete a little violet, from viole, from Latin viola violet

Idioms and Phrases

see shrinking violet .

Example Sentences

Add a pop of color with a bright violet v-neck blouse from 3.1 Phillip Lim.

From The Daily Beast

The odd (though beautiful) pair here is Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who were a hit on the vaudeville circuit.

From The Daily Beast

Sutton Foster abandoned her usual perky personna to play scared and scarred in Violet, and voters may reward her effort.

From The Daily Beast

Certainly no one who knows me would accuse me of being a shrinking violet.

From The Daily Beast

Streep plays Violet Weston, a woman unraveled after her husband's suicide.

From The Daily Beast

Large divans of the richest crimson and violet brocades lined the walls, while ample curtains of the same served in lieu of doors.

From Project Gutenberg

She sat still as a statue, scarce breathing, her eyes fixed upon the violet sky.

From Project Gutenberg

Benny was never too cross to listen to the wonderful stories his sister Violet could tell about Cinnamon Bear.

From Project Gutenberg

Violet was already curled up in her nest, which was hidden so completely that Henry spoke to her to see if she were there.

From Project Gutenberg

They pressed the hay back firmly until they had made their way into Violet's little room.

From Project Gutenberg