From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlilacli‧lac /ˈlaɪlək/ noun 1 [countable]HBPDLG a small tree with pale purple or white flowers2 [uncountable]CC a pale purple colour SYN mauve —lilac adjective a lilac dress
Examples from the Corpus
lilac• He was waiting while his vivid red roses were wrapped in the distinctive lilac and silver paper.• Crocuses came and went, the apple trees exploded, lilacs drenched the air, summer came with its visitors and boarders.• In San Francisco, lilacs are a sure-fire conversation stopper.• The particular quality of the light in the early mornings, lilacs after rain, the scents of spring.• When she went to bring in the mail, though, and found the mailbox full of lilacs, her heart flooded.• A deceitful day that makes one think of lilacs and daffodils, before blasting you with another cannonade of winter.• Gold chrysanthemums spilled from ceramic pots; lilacs and cherry blossoms flicked clusters of light into our garden.• Great creamy clusters of white lilac fringed the parking lot and tulips blew behind allotment wire.Origin lilac (1600-1700) Early French, from Arabic lilak, from Persian nilak “bluish”, from nil “blue” 