1. бот. фиалка (Viola gen.) 2. фиолетовый или лиловый цвет 3. pl. сл. (душистые) фиалки (в США - о капусте; в Англии - о луке) Id: a shrinking (blushing) violet —- чрезвычайно застенчивый человек Id: to play the shrinking violet —- разыгрывать из себя невинность, проявлять ложную скромность 4. фиалковый violet family —- бот. фиалковые (Violaceae) 5. фиолетовый, лиловый violet rays —- фиолетовые лучи, фиолетовое излучение 6. редк. окрашивать в фиолетовый цвет 7. редк. собирать фиалки ...
n. & adj. --n. 1 a any plant of the genus Viola, esp. the sweet violet, with usu. purple, blue, or white flowers. b any of various plants resembling the sweet violet. 2 the bluish-purple colour seen at the end of the spectrum opposite red. 3 a pigment of this colour. b clothes or material of this colour. --adj. of this colour. Etymology: ME f. OF violet(te) dimin. of viole f. L VIOLA(2) ...
Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference
(violets) 1. A violet is a small plant that has purple or white flowers in the spring. N-COUNT 2. Something that is violet is a bluish-purple colour. The light was beginning to drain from a violet sky. COLOUR 3. If you say that someone is no shrinking violet, you mean that they are not at all shy. When it comes to expressing himself he is no shrinking violet... PHRASE: usu with brd-neg, N inflects, v-link PHR ...
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
- 13c., from O.Fr. violette, dim. of viole "violet," from L. viola, cognate with Gk. ion (see iodine), probably from a pre-I.E. Mediterranean language. The color sense (late M.E.) developed from the flower. ...