Lac
/læk/noun
A resinous substance excreted by certain insects and used to make shellac and dyes.
Did you know?English lac comes through Hindi/Urdu and Persian from Sanskrit, where it referred to the red resinous insect product that became the source of the word lacquer.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Skt
lakṣā
“lac; a red resinous substance produced by insects”
Persian
Per
lak
“lac; the resinous dye material”
Hindi/Urdu
Hind/Urdu
lākh
“lac; the insect resin used for dye and varnish”
16th Century
English
lac
“the resinous substance used in making shellac”
Modern English
English
lac
“the resinous insect product, especially as used in shellac and dyes”