lac

[ lak ]

/ læk /

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noun

a resinous substance deposited on the twigs of various trees in southern Asia by the female of the lac insect: used in the manufacture of varnishes, sealing wax, etc., and in the production of a red coloring matter.Compare shellac (defs. 1, 2).

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Origin of lac

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English lacca, from Dutch lak or French lac, laque, from Old French lacce, lache, from Medieval Latin lac, lacca, from Arabic lakk, from Persian lak, from Hindi lākh, from Prakrit lākkhā, from Sanskrit lākṣā

Words nearby lac

labyrinth, labyrinth fish, labyrinthine, labyrinthitis, labyrinthodont, lac, Lacan, La Canada-Flintridge, Laccadive Islands, Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, laccolith

Other definitions for lac (2 of 4)

lac²

[ lahk ]

/ lɑk /

noun

lakh.

Other definitions for lac (3 of 4)

lac³

[ lak ]

/ læk /

noun

(in prescriptions) milk.

Origin of lac

From Latin

Other definitions for lac (4 of 4)

LAC

leading aircraftsman.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lac in a sentence

In tiny Lac-Megantic, everyone knows someone who was killed when the oil train went off the rails.
‘It Was Like Hiroshima’: A Tour Through the Quebec Town Destroyed by a Runaway Train|Christine Pelisek|July 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Dissolve 100 parts of gum lac in 300 parts of ammonia and heat for an hour moderately in a water bath.
Practical Mechanics for Boys|J. S. Zerbe
During these first years of missionary work at Lac-qui-parle, the school was well attended.
Mary and I|Stephen Return Riggs
And these people at the Traverse (Sissetons they were) we found quite equal to those at Lac-qui-parle.
Mary and I|Stephen Return Riggs

There was at this time an elderly man who sought admission to the church at Lac-qui-parle, Left Hand by name.
Mary and I|Stephen Return Riggs
In these circumstances it was deemed advisable for Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins to go on to Lac-qui-parle for a year.
Mary and I|Stephen Return Riggs

British Dictionary definitions for lac (1 of 3)

lac¹

/ (læk) /

noun

a resinous substance secreted by certain lac insects, used in the manufacture of shellac

Word Origin for lac

C16: from Dutch lak or French laque, from Hindi lākh resin, ultimately from Sanskrit lākshā

British Dictionary definitions for lac (2 of 3)

lac²

/ (lɑːk) /

noun

a variant spelling of lakh

British Dictionary definitions for lac (3 of 3)

LAC

/ British /

abbreviation for

leading aircraftman

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