: a widely cultivated European shrub (Syringa vulgaris) of the olive family that has cordate ovate leaves and large panicles of fragrant pinkish-purple or white flowers
b
: a tree or shrub congeneric with the lilac
2
: a variable color averaging a moderate purple
Illustration of lilac
lilac 1a
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This option from notable Danish designer Montana Furniture (known for its modular storage solutions and vibrant paint jobs) boasts a myriad of eye-catching colors like a fiery red, energetic lilac, and cobalt blue to bring an air of excitement to your workday.—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 3 June 2025 Cutting back your lilacs is critical to managing them and keeping them from growing too high.—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024 But hikers along country trails will often encounter the sweet scent of the flowers as their fragrance fills the air, competing with the fresh perfume of pines or lilacs.—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025 Parton now has a plant propagated from that smuggled cutting in the section of his garden devoted to Russian lilacs.—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lilac
Word History
Etymology
obsolete French (now lilas), from Arabic līlak, from Persian nīlak bluish, from nīl blue, from Sanskrit nīla dark blue
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