Definition

Noun: 1. A resinous substance secreted by the lac insect (Kerria lacca), used in making varnishes, sealing wax, and dyes. 2. (Also lakh) A unit in the South Asian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000).

Usage

• The primary meaning refers to the natural resin. It is typically used as a material or ingredient.
• The secondary meaning (lakh) is used as a numeral, primarily in the context of Indian English, to denote quantities, especially of money or population.

Examples

1. Noun (Resin):

   • Traditional Indian lac bangles are made by shaping this natural resin around a core.
   • The artisan used lac to create a durable and glossy finish on the wooden box.
   • Lac is harvested by scraping the resinous encrustation from the branches of host trees.

2. Noun (Numeral - lakh):

   • The car was sold for five lac rupees. (Meaning: 500,000 rupees)
   • The city has a population of nearly twenty lac inhabitants.

Advanced Usage

• Lac insect: The specific insect () that produces the resin.
• Shellac: A refined form of lac, processed and dissolved in alcohol, used as a wood finish and in food glazing (e.g., confectioner's glaze).

Variants and Related Words

• Lakh (noun): The preferred spelling for the numeral 100,000 in Indian English.
• Lacquer (noun): While not the same substance, lacquer is a similar hard, protective coating. Lac was a historical precursor to some modern lacquers.
• Shellac (noun): A purified product of lac resin.

Synonyms

• For the resin: Resin, secretion, gum (in a general sense, though not botanically precise).
• For the numeral: Hundred thousand.

Notes on Different Meanings

The two meanings of lac are homographs (spelled the same) but are etymologically distinct words. 1. The resin meaning comes from the Hindi word lākh, itself from Sanskrit lākṣā. 2. The numeral meaning (lakh) comes from the Hindi lākh, from Sanskrit lakṣa (meaning a mark, target, or 100,000).

Noun

1. resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects; used in e.g. varnishes and sealing wax