[F. tilleul linden-tree:—L. *tiliolus, dim. of *tilius = tilia linden.]
1. A lime or linden-tree.
1530. Palsgr., 281/1. Tylleull, a kynde of frute [error for tree], tilleul.
1825–9. Mrs. Sherwood, Lady of Manor, II. xiv. 180. The gardens of orange trees; the avenues of tilleul; the groves of myrtle.
2. attrib. a. Name of a shade of color: a pale yellowish green like that of the leaves of the lime-tree.
1880. Sanislaus County Weekly News, 30 Jan., 1/6. She had the same old everlasting black silk, made over with a vest of tilleul green silk.
1884. Cassell’s Fam. Mag., May, 371/2. A light tilleul ground, just the tint of lettuce, shot with white.
1909. Daily Chron., 26 June, 4/5. Lady St. Germans … becomingly dressed in tilleul voile.
b. Tilleul tea, an infusion of lime-tree flowers, used as a remedy for headache, etc.
1908. Daily Chron., 14 Nov., 4/4. Ordinary tea [has been replaced] by the bitter-tasted tilleul variety, which was first on show at an hotel in Paris.
