ENGLISH
REFERENCE

violet

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈvaɪəɫɪt// UK //vˈaɪələt// vi·o·let Dialect

n. a small plant with purple or blue flowers that often grows in gardens. It is also the name for a dark purple-blue color.

n. a small herbaceous plant of the genus Viola, typically bearing purple, blue, or white flowers. Also used to describe the bluish-purple hue at the short-wavelength end of the visible spectrum.


SIMPLE

She planted a row of violets along the garden path.

CONTEXTUAL

The artist mixed blue and red paint to find the perfect shade of violet for the sunset.

COMPLEX

Wild violets often carpet the forest floor in early spring, providing one of the first reliable sources of nectar for emerging pollinators after the winter frost.

Synonyms
Origin

A 19th century flower name from violet, sometimes as an anglicisation of the earlier French Violette.

Usage

Countable when referring to the plant or specific shades; uncountable when referring to the color in a general sense.

Idioms1 entry

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