henna

[hen-uh]

noun

1. an Asian shrub or small tree, Lawsonia inermis, of the loosestrife family, having elliptic leaves and fragrant flowers.

2. a reddish-orange dye or cosmetic made from the leaves of this plant.

3. a color midway between red-brown and orange-brown.

verb (used with object)

hennaed, hennaing 

1. to tint or dye with henna.

henna

/ ˈhɛnə /

noun

1. a lythraceous shrub or tree, Lawsonia inermis, of Asia and N Africa, with white or reddish fragrant flowers

2. a reddish dye obtained from the powdered leaves of this plant, used as a cosmetic and industrial dye

3. a reddish-brown or brown colour

verb

1. (tr) to dye with henna

Word History and Origins

Origin of henna¹

First recorded in 1590–1600, henna is from the Arabic word hinnā'

Word History and Origins

Origin of henna¹

C16: from Arabic hinnā'; see _alkanet

Example Sentences

"I thought maybe a tiny dolphin would be a nice way of advertising the book but my skin's too fragile so maybe I'll just get a henna one."

From BBC

“All my friends were Black, and we got together and cooked Indian food and painted henna on our hands, and I never felt uncomfortable with my cultural background.”

From Los Angeles Times

A woman with henna tattoos prays during the Islamic Society of West Valley’s Eid celebration and open air prayer service at the Pierce College stadium in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

Researchers used lawsone, a red-orange compound found in henna leaves that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, to boost the performance of cotton.

From Science Daily

Safer yet: Try a plant-based dye, such as henna, Goldberg said.

From Seattle Times