anil

American  

[an-l] / ˈæn 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.

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anil British  

/ ˈænɪl /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of anil

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

Example Sentences

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

From Notable Voyagers From Columbus to Nordenskiold by Kingston, William Henry Giles

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

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah

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

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Ross, Thomasina

To Barbary, Antwerp exported woollen goods, linen, merceries, metals, &c.; and received from it sugar, azure or anil, gums, coloquintida, leather, peltry, and fine feathers.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 18 Historical Sketch of the Progress of Discovery, Navigation, and Commerce, from the Earliest Records to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century, By William Stevenson by Stevenson, William

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.

From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas