lavender

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Any of a group of European plants, genus, Lavandula, of the mint family.
2. (countable, uncountable) A pale bluish purple colour, like that of the lavender flower.
3. (historical, uncountable) A kind of film stock for creating positive prints from negatives as part of the process of duplicating the negatives.

Adj

1. Having a pale purple colour.
2. Pertaining to LGBT people and rights.
3. Pertaining to lesbian feminism; opposing heterosexism.

Verb

To decorate or perfume with lavender.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlæv.ən.də/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lavendre

Cognate with French: lavande

In summary

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

Synonyms

pale purple

lilac

lilac-colored

violet

Lavandula

pale-purple

mauve colour

heliotrope

lavandula spica

mauve

russet