lavender

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noun lav·en·der \ˈla-vən-dər\

Definition of lavender

1a : a Mediterranean mint (Lavandula angustifolia synonym L. officinalis) widely cultivated for its narrow aromatic leaves and spikes of lilac-purple flowers which are dried and used in sachets and from which is extracted an aromatic oil used chiefly in perfumeryb : any of several plants congeneric with true lavender and used similarly but often considered inferior
2 : a pale purple

See lavender defined for English-language learners

See lavender defined for kids

Examples of lavender in a Sentence

a small cloth bag filled with lavender

Recent Examples of lavender from the Web

The sky dims, goes lavender, purple, black, and one by one lights twinkle on the horizon, oil rigs, dotting the Gulf, lighting the night, some of the roughly 4,000 production rigs and drilling platforms located off the coast of Louisiana.

— justin nobel, Longreads, "The Louisiana Environmental Apocalypse Road Trip," 13 July 2017
Other days, sandalwood or lavender soap are the 29-year-old’s elixir.

— terri akman, Philly.com, "Bar soaps get love from millennials raised on the liquid stuff," 12 July 2017
Filling the panoramas are a vineyard, art and nature center, airport, campground, golf course and two lavender farms.

— kurt chandler, chicagotribune.com, "Scandinavian heritage, quirky charm await on winsome Washington Island," 30 June 2017
The evening begins with a welcome cocktail of Kentucky Wild Gin, lavender syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine (recipe below).

— dana mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "From garden to glass at 610's Garden Cocktail Party," 26 June 2017
And look at this magical beast: It's filled with strawberries, graham crackers, lavender-berry macarons, funfetti cake (inside and on top!), vanilla cream, and a variety of sprinkles.

— laura beck, Cosmopolitan, "This Video of Unicorn Cannoli Being Made Will Make You Believe in Magic," 24 June 2017
And look at this magical beast: It's filled with strawberries, graham crackers, lavender-berry macarons, funfetti cake (inside and on top!), vanilla cream, and a variety of sprinkles.

— laura beck, Cosmopolitan, "This Video of Unicorn Cannoli Being Made Will Make You Believe in Magic," 24 June 2017
Think lemon-strawberry swirl ice cream on lavender shortbread cookies and ricotta chocolate chip ice cream on original shortbread.

— lauren delgado, Orlando Signature, "Ice Cream Shops Serving Unexpected Icy Treats," 23 June 2017
Handmade lavender products, lunch and desserts for purchase, vendors, fields open for u-pick.

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "Launch into summer with music, fireworks," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lavender'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of lavender

Middle English lavendre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin lavandula

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First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

lavender

verb lav·en·der

Definition of lavender

lavendered

;

lavendering

play \ˈla-vən-d(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb
: to sprinkle or perfume with lavender

First Known Use of lavender

1820

LAVENDER Defined for English Language Learners

lavender

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noun

Definition of lavender for English Language Learners

: a plant with narrow leaves and small purple flowers that have a sweet smell
: the dried leaves and flowers of the lavender plant used to make clothes and fabrics smell pleasant
: a pale purple color