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li·lac

(līlək, -lŏk, -lăk)

1. Any of various shrubs of the genus Syringa, especially S. vulgaris, which has been widely cultivated for its clusters of fragrant flowers that are usually purplish or white but may be pink, blue, or creamy yellow depending on the cultivar.

2. A pale to light or moderate purple.

[Obsolete French, from Arabic līlak, from Middle Persian nīlak, from nīl, indigo, from Sanskrit nīlī, from nīla-, dark blue.]

lilac adj.

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lilac

common lilac

Syringa vulgaris

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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