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lavender |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Lavender \Lav"en*der\, n. [OE. lavendre, F. lavande It lavanda lavender, a washing, fr L. lavare to wash; cf It lsavendola LL lavendula. So called because it was used in bathing and washing. See {Lave}. to wash, and cf {Lavender}.] 1. (Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus {Lavandula} ({L. vera}), common in the south of Europe. It yields and oil used in medicine and perfumery. The {Spike lavender} ({L. Spica}) yields a coarser oil (oil of spike), used in the arts. 2. The pale, purplish color of lavender flowers, paler and more delicate than lilac. {Lavender cotton} (Bot.), a low twiggy, aromatic shrub ({Santolina Cham[ae]cyparissus}) of the Mediterranean region, formerly used as a vermifuge, etc., and still used to keep moths from wardrobes. Also called {ground cypress}. {Lavender water}, a perfume composed of alcohol, essential oil of lavender, essential oil of bergamot, and essence of ambergris. {Sea lavender}. (Bot.) See {Marsh rosemary}. {To lay in lavender}. a To lay away as clothing, with sprigs of lavender. b To pawn. [Obs.] From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: lavender adj : of a pale purple color [syn: {lilac}] n : any of various Old World aromatic shrubs or subshrubs with usually mauve or blue flowers; widely cultivated
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