/dal"yeuh, dahl"-/ or, esp. Brit., /dayl"-/ , n.
1. any composite plant of the genus Dahlia, native to Mexico and Central America and widely cultivated for its showy, variously colored flower heads.
2. the flower or tuberous root of a dahlia.
3. a pale violet or amethyst color.
adj.
4. of the color dahlia.
[ 1791; Dahl (d. 1789), Swedish botanist; see -IA ]