Forms: α. (6 lacha, lacta), 6–9 lacca, (7 lacka, 8 laca, lakka). β. 6–8 lack(e, (7 lache, 7–8 lacque, 8 lacc, 8–9 laque), 7– lac. [ad. Hindustani lākh:—Prakrit lakkha:—Skr. lākshā, also rākshā. Cf. F. laque, Pr., Sp. laca, It. lacca.]
1. (Also gum-lac.) The dark-red resinous incrustation produced on certain trees by the puncture of an insect (Coccus or Carteria lacca). It is used in the East as a scarlet dye. The incrusted twigs are called stick-lac; the resin broken off the twigs and triturated with water to remove the color is called seed-lac; melted, strained and formed into irregular thin plates, it is known as shell-lac or SHELLAC.
α. 1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 21, marg. Lacha, Lacca, or Lacta, is ye gumme of a tree wherewith silke is colored.
1622–62. Heylin, Cosmogr., III. (1682), 217. Lacca (a gum there made by Ants, as here Bees make Wax).
1693. Phil. Trans., XVII. 934. Manna and Gum Lacca he clearly shews to be Spontaneous Exudations.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v. Lacca, A tincture of gum lacc may be thus prepared.
1763. W. Lewis, Comm. Phil. Techn., 223. Lacca … is found incrustated on sticks or branches of trees.
1809. Wilford, in Asiat. Researches, IX. 65. This Amber of Ctesias is obviously the Indian Lacca, which has many properties of the Amber.
β. 1618. T. Barker, in St. Papers Col, E. Indies 1617–21 (1870), 159. Saffron, gumlac, indigo, copper.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Mandelslo’s Trav., II. (1669), 122. At Bantam … they sell store of Lacque, whereof they make Spanish wax.
1698. Phil. Trans., XX. 273. Gum Lack is the House of a large sort of Ants, which they make on the Boughs of Trees.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Gum, Powder of Oister-shells, or Gum Lacque in Powder.
1794. Pearson, in Phil. Trans., LXXXIV. 385. White lac, in its dry state, has a saltish and bitterish taste.
1838. T. Thomson, Chem. Org. Bodies, 550. Lac … is deposited in different species of trees in the East Indies, namely, the ficus indica, ficus religiosa, and rhamnus jujuba.
1877. Sir C. W. Thomson, Voy. Challenger, I. i. 15. The different varnishes and lacs remain soft and sticky.
† 2. The color of lac; crimson. Also, a pigment prepared from lac. Obs. (Cf. LAKE sb.6)
1677. Grew, Colours Plants, iii. § 13. Spirit of Sulphur on a Tincture of Violets turns it from Blew to a true Lacke, or midle Crimson.
1689. Marvell, Instr. to Painter, 636. Scarce can burnt iv’ry feign a hair so black, Or face so red, thine ocher and thy lack.
1763. Brit. Mag., IV. 659. There are three sorts of lacque: the fine Venice lacque, the Columbine lacque, and the Liquid lacque.
† b. An extractive pigment; = LAKE sb.6 3.
1682. Weekly Mem. Ingen., 74. He also teaches us a way of preparing a sort of Lacca, or Paint, out of every Flower, by which it may be drawn or pictur’d in its own genuine and Native Colour.
† 3. The varnish made from lac; also applied to various resinous varnishes used for coating wood, etc.; = LACQUER 2 a, 2 b.
1598. W. Phillips, trans. Linschoten, I. lxviii. 117. Desks, Targets, Tables [etc.] … that are all couered and wrought with Lac of all colours and fashions.
1669. Phil. Trans., IV. 985. No Arts are to be met amongst them, that are not known in Europe, except that of making Lacca.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), II. I. 24. The Lack with which Cabinets and other fine Things are overlaid.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. ii. 126. The Lack is clear enough, but always clammy.
4. Ware coated with lac or lacquer.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Mandelslo’s Trav., I. (1669), 24. Boxes of Lacque or Silver.
1861. C. P. Hodgson, Resid. at Nagasaki, 27–8. By degrees, the eye becomes accustomed to old laque…. Old laque is, like good lace, inimitable.
1888. Pall Mall Gaz., 11 Feb., 3/1. The gems of Mr. S.’s unrivalled collection are here to show the supreme masterpieces in ‘lac.’
5. attrib., as lac-panel, -resin, -tree, -varnish; lac-cochineal, the insect that produces lac (Coccus lacca); lac-dye, a scarlet dye prepared in India from lac; lac-lake, the purple or scarlet pigment obtained from lac.
1813. Bingley, Anim. Biog., III. 191. The *lac cochineal.
1846. Pope’s Jrnl. Trade, p. xxxi. Cochineal, Indigo, *Lac-dye.
1883. Cassell’s Fam. Mag., Oct., 683/1. Comparatively few people know how the lac-dye they read of in commerce is produced.
1895. Daily News, 24 May, 6/6. A gold box … with old *lac panels.
1876. Preece & Sivewright, Telegraphy, 296. The *gum lac resin is employed to consolidate the carbon-peroxide of manganese mixture.
1763. W. Lewis, Comm. Phil. Techn., 331. The species, called by Mr. Miller the true *lac tree, was found to contain, in its bark … a somewhat milky juice.
1688. G. Parker & J. Stalker, Treat. Japaning, etc. 1. The other [strainer is useful] for your *Lacc-varnish.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 178. Make a paste of chalk and lack varnish.
Hence † Lac v. trans., to cover or varnish with ‘lac’; to lacquer.
1698. Phil. Trans., XX. 275. And then with a Brush [they] lay it smooth on any thing they design to Lack.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xi. 125. They make fine Cabinets, both lack’d and inlaid with Ivory. Ibid., 126. They lack wooden Dishes and Tables, but not so well as in China.
