lavender

American  

[lav-uhn-der] / ˈlæv ən dər /

noun

lavenders plural

1. a pale bluish purple.

2. 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.

3. the dried flowers or other parts of this plant placed among linen, clothes, etc., for scent or as a preservative.

4. Also called lavender water.  toilet water, aftershave, or the like, made with a solution of oil of lavender.

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adjective

1. of the color lavender.

2. Informal.

   1. of or relating to gay male sexual orientation.

   2. (of a man) gay or effeminate.

lavender British  

/ ˈlævəndə /

noun

1. 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

2. the dried parts of L. vera, used to perfume clothes

3. 1. a pale or light bluish-purple to a very pale violet colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      lavender socks

4. perfume scented with lavender

5. informal (modifier) of or relating to homosexuality

   lavender language

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lavenders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lavender

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English lavendre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin lavendula, variant of livendula, nasalized variant (unrecorded) of lividula “a plant livid in color”; see livid , -ule

Explanation

You know that sweet-smelling plant with tiny purple-blue flowers your grandmother has growing in her garden? Well that’s lavender, a sweet-smelling evergreen with 93 different species. If you’re brave and look in your grandmother’s drawer you’ll probably find dried sachets of lavender flowers to keep her clothes smelling nice, as lavender is one of the most common natural scents of all, including an oil made from its essence. The plant has also given its name to the color lavender. So, a plant, a scent and a color — not bad for one little shrub!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lavender lavenders

She later went from a figure-hugging sheer lavender Gucci gown to a playful daytime polka dot ensemble from Jacquemus matched with retro white sun glasses, with Elle magazine praising her "old Hollywood" dash.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

Actress Chase Sui Wonders dripped with diamonds in a pale lavender dress.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

But if it’s a solo night, it’s like candles, lavender bubbles, lights are dim, jazz music is playing in the background, like Billie Holiday, and that is the ultimate reset.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

The swish of polyester skirts in spring pastels — lavender, mint, butter-yellow — as the women of the church organized the spread.

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026

Hannah Gruen was standing in Nancy's lavender and white bedroom, making sure she had everything she needed for the sleepover.

From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene

Speaking to reporters afterwards, she explained her purple outfit was inspired by her love of lavenders and the calmness they bring.

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

Gophers devoured many of his early plants, including his lavenders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2023

The right side, the pony, has a cooler palette of blues, whites, pinks and lavenders.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2018

Perhaps the grandest departure from reality is found in the sky of roiled pinks, whites and lavenders in an expansive Bijapur hunting scene that is one of the show’s best-known masterpieces.

From New York Times ● Apr. 23, 2015

She and William saw them at dusk, when “the sky was so very lovely, too, maroons, lavenders, blues.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• lilac
• violet