anil

A1N1I1L1
/əˈnɪl//əˈniːl/

noun

The indigo shrub; or the indigo dye obtained from the plant.

Similar
indigoindigotinIndigofera suffruticosaIndigofera anil
OriginPortuguese anil ← Arabic نِيل (nīl) ← Middle Persian 𐭭𐭩𐭫 (nīl) →
Less commonScrabble 4
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Meanings

anil1

nounanil (countable and uncountable, plural anils)

plural anils

  1. countableuncountableThe indigo shrub; or the indigo dye obtained from the plant.
  2. countableuncountablechemistryAny imine in which the N-radical is a phenyl (or substituted phenyl) group.
  3. countableuncountablechemistry1,4-Benzoquinones including chloranil, DDQ, bromanil, & cyanil.

Anil2

proper noun
  1. A male given name from the Indo-Aryan languages [in turn from Sanskrit] or from the Dravidian languages [in turn from Sanskrit]; variant form Aneel.

Anil3

proper noun
  1. A male given name from Turkish.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically

Similar
indigoindigotin
Broader
dyedyestuff

nounshrub of West Indies and South America that is a source of indigo dye

Similar
Indigofera suffruticosaIndigofera anil
Broader
indigoindigo plantIndigofera tinctoria
Also see
indigoindigotin

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

anil · noun

  1. Middle Frenchanil
  2. Proto-Indo-European*neyH-der.?
  3. Sanskritनील॑ (nī́la)
  4. Middle Persian𐭭𐭩𐭫 (nīl)
  5. Arabicنِيل (nīl)
  6. Portugueseanil
  7. Englishanil

From Middle French anil, Portuguese anil.

More words from Middle French, Portuguese

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Anil · proper noun

  1. Sanskritअनिल“Hindu god of the wind”
  2. Sinhaleseඅනිල්
  3. Urduاَنِیل
  4. Nepaliअनिल
  5. Bengaliঅনিল
  6. Malayalamഅനിൽ
  7. Tamilஅனில்
  8. Kannadaಅನಿಲ್
  9. Marathiअनिल
  10. Hindiअनिल
  11. EnglishAnil

Borrowed from Hindi अनिल (anil), Marathi अनिल (anil), Kannada ಅನಿಲ್ (anil), Tamil அனில் (aṉil), Malayalam അനിൽ (anil), Bengali অনিল (onil), Nepali अनिल (anil), Urdu اَنِیل (anīl), or Sinhalese අනිල් (anil), from Sanskrit अनिल (anila, “Hindu god of the wind”).

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Anil · proper noun

  1. TurkishAnıl
  2. EnglishAnil

Borrowed from Turkish Anıl, from anıl, second-person singular imperative passive of anmak (“to remember; to commemorate”).

More words from Turkish

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Translations

Bulgarian индиго
  • индиго (indigo)imine
Irish anail, plúirín
  • anailshrub
  • plúirínshrub
Polish indygowiec, imina
  • indygowiecshrub
  • iminaimine
Portuguese índigo, anileira
  • índigoshrub
  • anileirashrub
  • anileiroshrub
  • indigueirashrub
Spanish añil
  • añilshrub

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with anil

willrealstillmobileuntilbillfeelhilldealsteelbrazilappealwheelkilltillsealillskillphilmealpillNeilgrilllil
All rhymes →

Anagrams

nailLianlainLinaLaniIlanNilaLNAI
Cite this entry
APA

anil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anil

MLA

“anil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anil. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anil,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anil.

Source: anil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.