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lilac
lilac any plant of the genus Syringa, deciduous Old World shrubs or small trees of the family Oleaceae ( olive family), widely cultivated as ornamentals. Since colonial days, the common lilac has been in America one of the best loved of the flowering shrubs, meriting its favor by its cone-shaped masses of lavender or white flowers, its fragrance, and its ease of cultivation. Some cities (e.g., Rochester, N.Y.) have lilac festivals. The purple flower clusters are the floral emblem of New Hampshire. From this old-fashioned common lilac ( S. vulgaris ) and others, many hybrids have been developed with variations in form (such as double flowers) and in color (such as rosy pink and white). These hybrids, which may lack the fragrance of the common lilac, are often called French lilacs because much of the pioneer hybridizing was done in France. The most famous use of the lilac in poetry is Whitman's elegy on Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." The lilac should not be confused with the unrelated mock orange (of the saxifrage family), which is sometimes also called syringa; both plants are sometimes called pipe tree. Lilacs are classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Scrophulariales, family Oleaceae.
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"lilac." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lilac." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-lilac.html "lilac." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-lilac.html |
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lilac
li·lac / ˈlīˌläk; -ˌlak; -lək/ • n. a widely cultivated Eurasian shrub or small tree (genus Syringa) of the olive family, that has fragrant violet, pink, or white blossoms. ∎ a pale pinkish-violet color. ORIGIN: early 17th cent.: from obsolete French, via Spanish and Arabic from Persian līlak, variant of nīlak ‘bluish,’ from nīl ‘blue.’ |
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"lilac." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lilac." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lilac.html "lilac." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lilac.html |
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Lilac
Lilac ♀ From the vocabulary word denoting the shrub with large sprays of heavily scented purple, pink, or white flowers. The word is from French, which derived it via Spanish from Arabic līlak, from Persian nīlak ‘bluish’, a derivative of nīl ‘blue’.
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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Lilac." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Lilac." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Lilac.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Lilac." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Lilac.html |
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lilac
lilac shrub Syringa vulgaris. XVII. — F. †lilac (now lilas) — Sp. lilac — Arab. ll̄lak — Pers. lïlak, var. of nīlak bluish, f. nīl blue, indigo.
So named from the bluish tinge of the flowers of some varieties. |
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T. F. HOAD. "lilac." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "lilac." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lilac.html T. F. HOAD. "lilac." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lilac.html |
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syringa
sy·rin·ga / səˈringgə/ • n. 1. a plant of the genus Syringa (family Oleaceae), esp. (in gardening) the lilac. 2. inf. another term for mock orange. |
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"syringa." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "syringa." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-syringa.html "syringa." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-syringa.html |
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syringa
syringa shrub of the genus Philadelphus. XVII. — modL. syringa, f. Gr. sûrigx, surigg- pipe; first applied to the mock orange from its stems being used for pipe stems, later to the lilac.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "syringa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "syringa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-syringa.html T. F. HOAD. "syringa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-syringa.html |
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lilac
lilac Any of 20 species of evergreen ornamental shrubs and small trees of the genus Syringa, which bear panicles (pointed clusters) of tiny fragrant white to purple flowers. Height: to 6m (20ft).
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"lilac." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lilac." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-lilac.html "lilac." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-lilac.html |
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syringa
syringa A name used misleadingly for Philadelphus, especially P. coronarius.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "syringa." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "syringa." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-syringa.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "syringa." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-syringa.html |
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Syringa
Syringa (lilac; family Oleaceae) A genus of shrubs and small trees with simple, oval, opposite leaves, 4-lobed corollas, capsular fruits, and winged seeds. The panicles of fragrant, lilac-coloured, white, or purple flowers make this a favourite garden shrub. The name ‘syringa’ is sometimes misleadingly applied to Philadelphus (mock orange), which is not related to lilac. There are 25 species, occurring from south-eastern Europe to eastern Asia.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Syringa." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Syringa." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-Syringa.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Syringa." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-Syringa.html |
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syringa
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"syringa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "syringa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-syringa.html "syringa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-syringa.html |
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Lilacs
Lilacs, poem by Amy Lowell.
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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Lilacs." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Lilacs." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-Lilacs.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Lilacs." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-Lilacs.html |
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lilac
lilac See SYRINGA.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "lilac." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "lilac." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-lilac.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "lilac." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-lilac.html |
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lilac
lilac •elegiac • Newark • Lubbock
•Caradoc, haddock, paddock, shaddock
•Marduk • piddock • Norfolk • Suffolk
•charlock
•hillock, pillock
•lilac
•ballock, pollack, pollock, rowlock
•bullock • hammock
•hummock, slummock, stomach
•bannock, Zanuck
•Kilmarnock • Greenock • monarch
•eunuch
•arrack, barrack, Baruch, carrack
•cassock, hassock
•tussock • Taoiseach • mattock
•buttock, futtock
•havoc • bulwark • wazzock • Isaac
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"lilac." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lilac." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-lilac.html "lilac." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-lilac.html |
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