violet

¹

[vahy-uh-lit]

noun

1. any chiefly low, stemless or leafy-stemmed plant of the genus Viola, having purple, blue, yellow, white, or variegated flowers.

2. any such plant except the pansy and the viola.

3. the flower of any native, wild species of violet, as distinguished from the pansy: the state flower of Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.

4. any of various similar plants of other genera.

5. reddish-blue, a color at the opposite end of the visible spectrum from red, an effect of light with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers.

adjective

1. of the color violet; reddish-blue.

   violet hats.

Violet

²

Also Vi·o·lette

[vahy-uh-lit]

noun

1. a female given name.

violet

/ ˈvaɪəlɪt /

noun

1. any of various temperate perennial herbaceous plants of the violaceous genus Viola, such as V. odorata ( sweet (or garden ) violet ), typically having mauve or bluish flowers with irregular showy petals

2. any other plant of the genus Viola, such as the wild pansy

3. any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as the African violet

4. 1. any of a group of colours that vary in saturation but have the same purplish-blue hue. They lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to blue; approximate wavelength range 445–390 nanometres

   2. ( as adjective )

      a violet dress

5. a dye or pigment of or producing these colours

6. violet clothing

   dressed in violet

7. informal,  a shy person

Other Word Forms

• violet-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of violet¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French violete, equivalent to viole (from Latin viola violet) + -ete diminutive suffix; -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of violet¹

C14: from Old French violete a little violet, from viole, from Latin viola violet

Idioms and Phrases

see shrinking violet.

Example Sentences

All three sections brim with short essays on various plant species such as rose, clover, iris, violet, daisy and lily of the valley, which Dior fashioned into silhouettes and blossoming decorative surfaces.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But Rachel is no shrinking violet, holding her own against lowlifes and schemers while navigating the movie’s unexpected turns, shocking violence and wrenching tension.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The sky is an aurora of reds, oranges, and violets, dotted with infinite batches of twinkling stars.

Read more on Literature

One example: A White House Valentine’s Day communication that said “Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally, and we’ll deport you.”

Read more on Salon

Plantlife's annual survey found hundreds of new sites for pink waxcap and violet coral across the country, with North Yorkshire emerging as a "hotspot" for the fungi, the charity said.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• color 
• lavender 
• lilac 
• mauve 
• periwinkle 
• plum 

When To Use

violet flower

A violet is a flower known for its vibrant bluish-purple color (the basis of the name of the color violet).The name violet can refer to any flower in the genus Viola, some of which are other colors (including blue, yellow, and white) or are variegated. The most well-known variety is called the common blue violet. The violet family contains many different species of plants, including trees and shrubs.The violet is the state flower of Illinois, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island. It’s also one of the February birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).Violets are often said to represent modesty. The idiom shrinking violet refers to someone who is shy or (overly) modest.Example: For my birthday, my wife always gives me a bouquet of beautiful violets.