from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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]