anil

[an-l]

noun

1. a West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa, of the legume family, having elongated clusters of small, reddish-yellow flowers and yielding indigo.

2. indigo; deep blue.

anil

/ ˈænɪl /

noun

1. Also called: indigo. a leguminous West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa: a source of indigo

Word History and Origins

Origin of anil¹

1575–85; < Portuguese < Arabic an-nīl, equivalent to al the + nīl indigo < Sanskrit nīlī indigo ( nīl ( a ) dark blue + -ī feminine noun suffix)

Word History and Origins

Origin of anil¹

C16: from Portuguese, from Arabic an-nīl, the indigo, from Sanskrit nīla dark blue

Example Sentences

Pertaining to, or obtained from, anil; indigotic; Ð applied to an acid formed by the action of nitric acid on indigo.

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Putting into Acapulco, they found a bark laden with cocoas and anil.

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Discovered in 1826, this body was formerly prepared from indigo—in Spanish, anil, whence the name; but is now produced on a larger scale from benzol, a coal-tar product.

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The lungs on either side are enclosed in a separate and perfect bag, anil each lung has a distinct pleura.

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The anil, or indigo, of these provinces has always been considered in commerce as equal and sometimes superior to that of Guatemala.

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