anil
n. C / Un. a tropical plant used to make a dark blue dye. It is one of the original sources of indigo.
n. a West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa, which serves as a source of indigo dye.
The farmers harvested the anil to produce blue dye.
Before synthetic dyes were invented, anil was a valuable crop for the textile industry in the Caribbean.
The cultivation of anil declined sharply following the development of chemical synthesis, which allowed manufacturers to produce consistent indigo shades without relying on plant extracts.
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the dye or the species generally; countable when referring to individual plants.
Last updated May 11, 2026