(a) A plant of the genus Viola, esp. the sweet violet (Viola odorata); the flower of this plant, often used medicinally or in cooking; cook. the name of a dish or confection made with violets; (b) in cpds., combs., and phrases: ~ flour(es, floures of ~; ~ rotes; ~ sed, sed of ~; ~ settinge, the planting of violets; conserve of ~, a medicinal preparation made with violets; jus of ~, a liquid extract obtained by boiling violets; leves of ~; oile of violete(s, oile ~, a vegetable oil infused with violet flowers; sirup of ~, a syrup in which violet flowers have been boiled; sugre of violete(s, a combination of sugar with a distillation or petals of violets; whit ~, ?the white variety of the sweet violet, or another white flower of the genus Viola; wilde ~, ?the dog violet (Viola vivinianal); (c) the violet flower as an image or a symbol of sweetness or chastity; also used as an epithet for Jesus; (d) ~ floures, a representation of violet flowers embroidered or painted on cloth.

(a) The color of the violet flower, purplish-blue; also, a violet-colored dye; (b) cloth of violet color, a piece of such cloth [sometimes difficult to distinguish from (a)]; ~ engreined (in grain), fast-dyed violet-colored cloth.

As surname.