Anil \An"il\, n. [F. anil, Sp. an[=i]l, or Pg. anil; all fr. Ar.
an-n[=i]l, for al-n[=i]l the indigo plant, fr. Skr. n[=i]la
dark blue, n[=i]l[=i] indigo, indigo plant. Cf. {Lilac}.]
(Bot.)
A West Indian plant ({Indigofera anil}), one of the original
sources of indigo; also, the indigo dye.
Indigofera anil
n : shrub of West Indies and South America that is a source of
indigo dye [syn: {anil}, {Indigofera suffruticosa}]