heliotrope
Americannoun
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any hairy plant belonging to the genus Heliotropium, of the borage family, as H. arborescens, cultivated for its small, fragrant purple flowers.
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any of various other plants, as the valerian or the winter heliotrope.
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any plant that turns toward the sun.
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a light tint of purple; reddish lavender.
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Surveying. an arrangement of mirrors for reflecting sunlight from a distant point to an observation station.
noun
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any boraginaceous plant of the genus Heliotropium, esp the South American H. arborescens, cultivated for its small fragrant purple flowers
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a widely cultivated valerian, Valeriana officinalis, with clusters of small pink, purple, or white flowers
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any of various plants that turn towards the sun
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a bluish-violet to purple colour
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( as adjective )
a heliotrope dress
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an instrument used in geodetic surveying employing the sun's rays reflected by a mirror as a signal for the sighting of stations over long distances
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another name for bloodstone
Etymology
Origin of heliotrope
1580–90; < Middle French héliotrope < Latin hēliotropium < Greek hēliotrópion ( see helio-, -trope); compare Middle English elitropium, elitropius, Old English eliotropus < Medieval Latin
Vocabulary lists containing heliotrope
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There, you’ll turn left and head down the stairs across from Heliotrope Avenue to Corona Del Mar State Beach.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024
Among them: Maintenance and plowing of forest roads that start at low elevations but eventually reach up into snowy high country, like the roads to the Hannegan Pass and Heliotrope Ridge trailheads outside of Glacier.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2021
For this article, Rupee Bar’s designer, Heliotrope Architects, declined to confirm its win, citing the foundation’s request for silence.
From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2020
Heliotrope, gamboge, umber: the names of colours are as luscious as the hues themselves.
From Nature • Nov. 15, 2016
Heliotrope, purple, cool violet, pink and lavender may be worn.
From Social Life or, The Manners and Customs of Polite Society by Cooke, Maud C.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
