Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various aromatic plants of the genus Lavandula of the mint family, native chiefly to the Mediterranean region, especially L. angustifolia, having clusters of small purplish flowers. Lavender is widely cultivated as an ornamental and for its essential oil, used in perfumery and cosmetics.
  • noun The fragrant dried leaves, stems, and flowers of this plant.
  • noun A pale to light purple to very light or very pale violet.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To launder; wash.
  • noun A washer; a washerwoman; a laundress.
  • To sprinkle or scent with lavender.
  • noun An aromatic plant of the genus Lavandula, primarily L. vera, the true lavender, which is used as a perfume. See Lavandula.
  • noun The color of lavender-blossoms; a very pale lilac-color, which in consequence of its paleness appears less reddish.
  • noun Hence— To put in pledge; pawn.
  • Of the color of lavender-blossoms; very pale lilac.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus Lavandula (Lavandula vera), common in the south of Europe. It yields and oil used in medicine and perfumery. The Spike lavender (Lavandula Spica) yields a coarser oil (oil of spike), used in the arts.
  • noun The pale, purplish color of lavender flowers, paler and more delicate than lilac.
  • noun (Bot.) a low, twiggy, aromatic shrub (Santolina Chamæcyparissus) of the Mediterranean region, formerly used as a vermifuge, etc., and still used to keep moths from wardrobes. Also called ground cypress.
  • noun a perfume, toilet water, or shaving lotion containing the essential oil of lavender, and sometimes the essential oil of bergamot, and essence of ambergris.
  • noun (Bot.) See Marsh rosemary.
  • noun [Obs.] To pawn.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of a group of European plants, genus, Lavandula, of the mint family.
  • noun a pale purple colour, like that of the lavender flower.
  • adjective Having a pale purple colour.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a pale purple color
  • noun any of various Old World aromatic shrubs or subshrubs with usually mauve or blue flowers; widely cultivated
  • adjective of a pale purple color

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English lavendre, from Anglo-Norman, from Medieval Latin livendula, lavendula, perhaps from Latin līvidus, bluish; see livid.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman lavendre (French: lavande), from Medieval Latin lavendula, possibly from Latin lividus ("bluish"), but influenced by lavare ("wash") due to use of lavender in washing clothes.

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Examples

  • She also sold herbs, and rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (which is what we call lavender).

    The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter 1904

  • She also sold herbs, and rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (which is what we call lavender).

    The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter 1904

  • She also sold herbs, and rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (which is what we call lavender).

    The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter 1904

  • All claims highlighted in lavender are eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed into law Dec 20, 2006 or U.S. Code Title 18.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

  • All claims highlighted in lavender are eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed into law Dec 20, 2006 or U.S. Code Title 18.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

  • All claims highlighted in lavender are eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed into law Dec 20, 2006 or U.S. Code Title 18.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

  • All claims highlighted in lavender are eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed into law Dec 20, 2006 or U.S. Code Title 18.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

  • All claims highlighted in lavender are eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed into law Dec 20, 2006 or U.S. Code Title 18.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

  • All claims highlighted in lavender are eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed into law Dec 20, 2006 or U.S. Code Title 18.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

  • All claims highlighted in lavender are eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed into law Dec 20, 2006 or U.S. Code Title 18.

    Heroes or Villains? 2010

Comments

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  • A strain of medicinal marijuana.

    January 15, 2010