Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Lac
Lac
,Noun.
[Per.
lak
; akin to Skr. lākshā
: cf. F. lague
, It. & NL. lacca
. Cf. Lake
a color, Lacquer
, Litmus
.] A resinous substance produced mainly on the banyan tree, but to some extent on other trees, by the
Laccifer lacca
(formerly Coccus lacca
), a scale-shaped insect, the female of which fixes herself on the bark, and exudes from the margin of her body this resinous substance. ☞
Stick-lac
is the substance in its natural state, incrusting small twigs. When broken off, and the coloring matter partly removed, the granular residuum is called seed-lac
. When melted, and reduced to a thin crust, it is called shell-lac
or shellac
. Lac is an important ingredient in sealing wax, dyes, varnishes, and lacquers. Ceylon lac
, a resinous exudation of the tree
– Croton lacciferum
, resembling lac. Lac dye
, a scarlet dye obtained from stick-lac.
– Lac lake
, the coloring matter of lac dye when precipitated from its solutions by alum.
– Mexican lac
, an exudation of the tree
Croton Draco
.Webster 1828 Edition
Lac
LAC
,Noun.
Gum-lac, so called, but improperly, not being a gum, but a resin. It is deposited on different species of trees in the East Indies, by an insect called Chermes lacca. Stick lac is the substance in its natural state, encrusting small twigs. When broken off and boiled in water, it loses its red color, and is called seed lac. When melted and reduced to a thin crust, it is call shell lac. United with ivory black or vermilion, it forms black and red sealing wax. A solution with borax, colored by lampblack, constitutes Indian ink. Lac dissolved in alcohol or other menstrua, by different methods of preparation, constitutes various kinds of varnishes and lackers.