Orchil Definition

ôrkĭl, -chĭl

noun

Any of a number of lichens (genera Roccella, Dendrographa, and Lecanora) yielding purple dyes.

Webster's New World

The violet dyestuff obtained from any of these lichens.

American Heritage Medicine

Any of these, including litmus.

Webster's New World

The dye, orcein, extracted from them.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Orchil

Singular:

orchil

Plural:

orchils

Middle English orchell ultimately from Old Catalan orxella from Andalusian dialectal Arabic ’urjālla of Mozarabic origin ultimately from Latin ōricilla a little ear (probably from the resemblance of the lichens to growths on the fetlocks of mules, somewhat resembling little ears) diminutive of auris ear auricle

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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