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

Two crossing paths divide the space into four quarters planted with lavender and potted lemon trees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 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

Mrs. Torrance wore lavender from head to toe the next morning, and Njemile snapped at her as she walked into their third period AP English class alongside Moss.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

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

She experimented with drought-tolerant trees and shrubs including lavenders and even bulbs like daffodils, but “I began to realize that so much of what I planted wasn’t doing well,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2024

Unburdened by representation, Rothko’s suspended blocks of autonomous color accentuate the strangeness of Church’s palette, especially the array of lavenders, pinks and yellows in his skies.

From New York Times ● Dec. 2, 2020

For example, although Hidcote and Munstead are considered ornamental twins, as silver-leafed compact English lavenders, “Munstead was much better than Hidcote” in winter survival, Hawke said.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2018

The tree mimicked the sunset, all golds and oranges and lavenders and dusty pinks.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

Related Words

• lilac
• violet