Adjacent Words

Violet definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VI'OLET, n. [L. viola.]
A plant and flower of the genus Viola, of many species.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of a color intermediate between red and blue [syn: purple, violet, purplish] n
1: any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
2: a variable color that lies beyond blue in the spectrum [syn: violet, reddish blue]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French violete, diminutive of viole violet, from Latin viola Date: 14th century 1. a. any of a genus (Viola of the family Violaceae, the violet family) of chiefly herbs with alternate stipulate leaves and showy flowers in spring and often cleistogamous flowers in summer; especially one with smaller usually solid-colored flowers as distinguished from the usually larger-flowered violas and pansies b. any of several plants of genera other than that of the violet — compare dogtooth violet 2. any of a group of colors of reddish-blue hue, low lightness, and medium saturation

Britannica Concise

Any of the approximately 500 species of herbaceous plants or low shrubs that make up the genus Viola, which includes the small, solid-colored violets and the larger-flowered, often multicolored violas and pansies. Many Viola species have two types of flowers: the showy spring flower is infertile; the less conspicuous summer flower is self-fertilizing. The best-known species of Viola have heart-shaped leaves. The popular florist's violets, consisting of several hybrids (many of them V. odorata), are usually called sweet violets. The family Violaceae, to which Viola belongs, has members worldwide; they are typically small trees and shrubs that grow as low vegetation beneath the taller trees of forests. The so-called African violet belongs to the gesneriad family. See also dogtooth violet.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. 1 a any plant of the genus Viola, esp. the sweet violet, with usu. purple, blue, or white flowers. b any of various plants resembling the sweet violet. 2 the bluish-purple colour seen at the end of the spectrum opposite red. 3 a pigment of this colour. b clothes or material of this colour. --adj. of this colour. Etymology: ME f. OF violet(te) dimin. of viole f. L VIOLA(2)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Violet Vi"o*let, n. [F. violette a violet (cf. violet violet-colored), dim. of OF. viole a violet, L. viola; akin to Gr. ?. Cf. Iodine.] 1. (Bot.) Any plant or flower of the genus Viola, of many species. The violets are generally low, herbaceous plants, and the flowers of many of the species are blue, while others are white or yellow, or of several colors, as the pansy (Viola tricolor). Note: The cultivated sweet violet is Viola odorata of Europe. The common blue violet of the eastern United States is V. cucullata; the sand, or bird-foot, violet is V. pedata. 2. The color of a violet, or that part of the spectrum farthest from red. It is the most refrangible part of the spectrum. 3. In art, a color produced by a combination of red and blue in equal proportions; a bluish purple color. --Mollett. 4. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored butterflies belonging to Lyc[ae]na, or Rusticus, and allied genera.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Violet Vi"o*let, a. [Cf. F. violet. See Violet, n.] Dark blue, inclining to red; bluish purple; having a color produced by red and blue combined. Violet shell (Zo["o]l.), any species of Ianthina; -- called also violet snail. See Ianthina. Violet wood, a name given to several kinds of hard purplish or reddish woods, as king wood, myall wood, and the wood of the Andira violacea, a tree of Guiana.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(violets) 1. A violet is a small plant that has purple or white flowers in the spring. N-COUNT 2. Something that is violet is a bluish-purple colour. The light was beginning to drain from a violet sky. COLOUR 3. If you say that someone is no shrinking violet, you mean that they are not at all shy. When it comes to expressing himself he is no shrinking violet... PHRASE: usu with brd-neg, N inflects, v-link PHR

Moby Thesaurus

amethystine, lavender, lilac, livid, magenta, mauve, mulberry, orchid, pansy-purple, plum-colored, plum-purple, purple, purplescent, purplish, purply, purpurate, purpure, purpureal, purpurean, purpureous, raisin-colored, violaceous