anil

American  

[an-l] / ˈæn l /

noun

1. a West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa, of the legume family, having elongated clusters of small, reddish-yellow flowers and yielding indigo.

2. indigo; deep blue.

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anil British  

/ ˈænɪl /

noun

1. Also called: indigo.  a leguminous West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa: a source of indigo

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Etymology

Origin of anil

1575–85; < Portuguese < Arabic an-nīl, equivalent to al the + nīl indigo < Sanskrit nīlī indigo ( nīl ( a ) dark blue + -ī feminine noun suffix)

Example Sentences

One already upgraded runway, on Car Nicobar island, was inaugurated in January by India's Chief of Defence Staff, Anil Chauhan.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Across the next four days, the future unfurls: Neuroscientist Anil Seth says it’s highly unlikely A.I. will gain consciousness.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

The neuroscientist Anil Seth says the brain is a “prediction machine,” and selfhood a useful hallucination.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, a top health ministry official, said one of those rescued is in critical condition, seven are receiving emergency treatment and others are being treated for minor injuries.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Indigofera Anil grows in the same countries, and also in the West Indies.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.