lilac

plural lilacs

1. A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.

   1 more example

   Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.

   1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 168

2. A flower of the lilac shrub.

   […] O death, I cover you over with roses and early lilies, / But mostly and now the lilac that blooms the first, / Copious I break, I break the sprigs from the bushes, / With loaded arms I come, pouring for you, / For you and the coffins all of you O death.

   1865, Walt Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, in Sequel to Drum-Taps: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d and other poems

3. A pale purple color, the color of some lilac flowers.
4. A cat having a lilac-colored (pale brown) coat.

comparative more lilac · superlative most lilac

1. Having a pale purple colour.
2. Of a cat or its fur: having a pale brown colour, lighter than chocolate.

1. A female given name from English.

   "Lilac Kingsmith," I said. "What a neat name."

   1989, Barbara Corcoran, The Potato Kid, page 23

   2 more examples

   As he worked he said conversationally: ‘You’re Lilac Larkin, ain’t you? I reckernise you from your photograph.’

   1993, Katie Flynn, The Girl from Penny Lane, page 291

   Lilac Devere looked at her elderly maiden aunt and sighed.

   1997, Dara Joy, Rejar, page 11