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

See Examples For:

anil

It was from that province that the coasts of Cumana received the first seeds of the Indigofera anil,* which is cultivated jointly with the Indigofera tinctoria.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Thomasina Ross

The anil, or indigo, of these provinces has always been considered in commerce as equal and sometimes superior to that of Guatemala.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Thomasina Ross

Pertaining to, or obtained from, anil; indigotic; Ð applied to an acid formed by the action of nitric acid on indigo.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Noah Webster

The lungs on either side are enclosed in a separate and perfect bag, anil each lung has a distinct pleura.

From The Dog by William Youatt

To Barbary, Antwerp exported woollen goods, linen, merceries, metals, &c.; and received from it sugar, azure or anil, gums, coloquintida, leather, peltry, and fine feathers.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 18 Historical Sketch of the Progress of Discovery, Navigation, and Commerce, from the Earliest Records to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century, By William Stevenson by William Stevenson