anil
[ an-l ]
noun
a West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa, of the legume family, having elongated clusters of small, reddish-yellow flowers and yielding indigo.
indigo; deep blue.
Origin of anil
11575–85; <Portuguese <Arabic an-nīl, equivalent to al the + nīl indigo <Sanskrit nīlī indigo (nīl(a) dark blue + -ī feminine noun suffix)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for anil
anil
/ (ˈænɪl) /
noun
a leguminous West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa: a source of indigo: Also called: indigo
Origin of anil
1C16: from Portuguese, from Arabic an-nīl, the indigo, from Sanskrit nīla dark blue
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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