seed-lac

2 definitions found

seed-lac - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Seed-lac \Seed"-lac`\, n.
     A species of lac. See the Note under Lac.
     [1913 Webster]

  Lac \Lac\, n. [Per. lak; akin to Skr. l[=a]ksh[=a]: 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.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: 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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]