What does "lac" mean?
A resinous substance or lacquer produced mainly on the banyan tree by the female of Kerria lacca, a scale insect.
Lac
/læk/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A resinous substance or lacquer produced mainly on the banyan tree by the female of Kerria lacca, a scale insect.
- Grammar: lac is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: lac resin, lakh, paint, resin.
- Useful contrasts: synthetic lacquer, synthetic resin.
- Usage evidence: At the turn of the century, the ever-expanding electrical industry was running low on shellac, a resin secreted by the female lac bug which could be used as an insulating material.
How to use "lac"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lac" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lac" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lac" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lac" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lac" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "lac resin" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lac", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A resinous substance or lacquer produced mainly on the banyan tree by the female of Kerria lacca, a scale insect. countable, uncountable
"At the turn of the century, the ever-expanding electrical industry was running low on shellac, a resin secreted by the female lac bug which could be used as an insulating material."
- 2 Dated spelling of lakh.
"[…] Lake [i.e., Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake] should not have leisure to breathe for a moment, and calamities would fall on lacs of human beings in continued war by the attacks of his army, which would overwhelm like the waves of the sea."
- 3 Clipping of Cadillac abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang
"Last night I was driving around in my lac."
- 4 Laceration. colloquial, countable, uncountable
"hand lac"
- 5 Initialism of looked-after children. UK, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, plural, plural-only
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Acronym of L-acetylcarnitine (“acetylated L-carnitine”). abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
- 7 Initialism of licensed acupuncturist. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 8 resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects; used in e.g. varnishes and sealing wax wordnet
- 9 Abbreviation of leading aircraftman. abbreviation, alt-of, countable
Proper Noun
- 1 A province of Chad.
- 2 A surname.
- 3 Initialism of Line of Actual Control. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"Thousands of soldiers have been facing off since April on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), or the de facto border, including at the glacial Pangong Tso lake."
- 4 Initialism of Los Angeles, California. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 5 Initialism of Los Angeles Clippers. Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
synthetic lacquersynthetic resin
Example
"At the turn of the century, the ever-expanding electrical industry was running low on shellac, a resin secreted by the female lac bug which could be used as an insulating material."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lac"?
Common synonyms include: lac resin, lakh, paint, resin, shellac, shellac resin.
How do you use "lac" in a sentence?
At the turn of the century, the ever-expanding electrical industry was running low on shellac, a resin secreted by the female lac bug which could be used as an insulating material.
How do you pronounce "lac"?
Pronounced /læk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Portuguese laca, from Hindi लाख (lākh)/Urdu لاکھ (lākh) or cognates in other Indo-Aryan languages, from Sanskrit लाक्षा (lākṣā). Doublet of lacquer.
Etymology 2
From Cadillac.
Etymology 3
From laceration.