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}]