anil Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically
    indigo; indigotin.
  2. noun shrub of West Indies and South America that is a source of indigo dye
    Indigofera anil; Indigofera suffruticosa.

WordNet

An"il noun
Etymology
F. anil, Sp. anil, or Pg. anil; all fr. Ar. an-nil, for al-nil the indigo plant, fr. Skr. nila dark blue, nili indigo, indigo plant. Cf. Lilac.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A West Indian plant (Indigofera anil), one of the original sources of indigo; also, the indigo dye.

Webster 1913