gentian violet

Save This Word!

noun

a dye derived from rosaniline, used in chemistry as an indicator and in medicine as a fungicide, bactericide, anthelmintic, and in the treatment of burns.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called crystal violet, methylrosaniline chloride.

Origin of gentian violet

First recorded in 1895–1900

Words nearby gentian violet

gentian blue, gentianella, gentian family, gentianophil, gentianophobic, gentian violet, gentile, Gentile da Fabriano, Gentileschi, gentilesse, gentilism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use gentian violet in a sentence

Add a pop of color with a bright violet v-neck blouse from 3.1 Phillip Lim.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Carrie Bradshaw in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The odd (though beautiful) pair here is Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who were a hit on the vaudeville circuit.
Fall Broadway Preview: 'This Is Our Youth,' Bradley Cooper as ‘The Elephant Man,' and More|Janice Kaplan|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sutton Foster abandoned her usual perky personna to play scared and scarred in Violet, and voters may reward her effort.
Who Will Win the Tony Awards?|Janice Kaplan|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Certainly no one who knows me would accuse me of being a shrinking violet.
My Daughter Is Bossy—But Don’t Call Her That|Sally Kohn|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Streep plays Violet Weston, a woman unraveled after her husband's suicide.
Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts Finally Collide in ‘August: Osage County’|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Large divans of the richest crimson and violet brocades lined the walls, while ample curtains of the same served in lieu of doors.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
She sat still as a statue, scarce breathing, her eyes fixed upon the violet sky.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Benny was never too cross to listen to the wonderful stories his sister Violet could tell about Cinnamon Bear.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
Violet was already curled up in her nest, which was hidden so completely that Henry spoke to her to see if she were there.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
They pressed the hay back firmly until they had made their way into Violet's little room.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner

British Dictionary definitions for gentian violet

gentian violet

noun

a greenish crystalline substance, obtained from rosaniline, that forms a violet solution in water, used as an indicator, antiseptic, and in the treatment of burnsAlso called: crystal violet

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

Medical definitions for gentian violet

gentian violet

[ jĕn′shən ]

Any of several basic dyes that are derivatives of pararosaniline, especially a dark green or greenish mixture that is used as a biological stain and as a bactericide, a fungicide, and an anthelmintic.