Hypertext Webster Gateway: "lavender"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Lavender \Lav"en*der\, n. [OE. lavendre, F. lavande, It. lavanda
lavender, a washing, fr. L. lavare to wash; cf. It.
lsavendola, LL. lavendula. So called because it was used in
bathing and washing. See {Lave}. to wash, and cf.
{Lavender}.]
1. (Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus {Lavandula} ({L.
vera}), common in the south of Europe. It yields and oil
used in medicine and perfumery. The {Spike lavender} ({L.
Spica}) yields a coarser oil (oil of spike), used in the
arts.
2. The pale, purplish color of lavender flowers, paler and
more delicate than lilac.
{Lavender cotton} (Bot.), a low, twiggy, aromatic shrub
({Santolina Cham[ae]cyparissus}) of the Mediterranean
region, formerly used as a vermifuge, etc., and still used
to keep moths from wardrobes. Also called {ground
cypress}.
{Lavender water}, a perfume composed of alcohol, essential
oil of lavender, essential oil of bergamot, and essence of
ambergris.
{Sea lavender}. (Bot.) See {Marsh rosemary}.
{To lay in lavender}.
(a) To lay away, as clothing, with sprigs of lavender.
(b) To pawn. [Obs.]
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
lavender
adj : of a pale purple color [syn: {lilac}]
n : any of various Old World aromatic shrubs or subshrubs with
usually mauve or blue flowers; widely cultivated
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