noun
anil
uh-NIHL
noun
1
The indigo shrub, or the deep blue dye extracted from it.
"Anil was once one of the most valuable export crops in colonial India."
"Traders shipped anil across the Atlantic before synthetic dyes replaced it."
How to Use Anil
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA plant used to make natural blue dye, or the dye itself.
Common mistake
Mostly seen today in chemistry and historical/textile contexts rather than everyday speech.
Word Forms
anils plural
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Etymology
From Portuguese anil, itself from Arabic an-nīl ("the indigo"), tracing back through Persian to Sanskrit nīla, meaning "dark blue."