# anil

/ˈænɪl/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/anil
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a tropical plant used to make a dark blue dye. It is one of the original sources of indigo.

For teachers: a West Indian shrub, Indigofera suffruticosa, which serves as a source of indigo dye.

## Examples

- 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 notes

- Uncountable when referring to the dye or the species generally; countable when referring to individual plants.

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