alkanet

American  

[al-kuh-net] / ˈæl kəˌnɛt /

noun

1. a European plant, Alkanna tinctoria, of the borage family.

2. the root of this plant, yielding a red dye.

3. the dye itself.

4. any of several similar hairy plants, as the bugloss, Anchusa officinalis, or a puccoon of the genus Lithospermum.

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alkanet British  

/ ˈælkəˌnɛt /

noun

1. a European boraginaceous plant, Alkanna tinctoria, the roots of which yield a red dye

2. Also called: anchusin.   alkannin.  the dye obtained from this plant

3. any of certain hairy blue-flowered Old World plants of the boraginaceous genus Anchusa (or Pentaglottis ), such as A. sempervirens of Europe See also bugloss

4. another name for puccoon

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Etymology

Origin of alkanet

1300–50; Middle English < Old Spanish alcaneta, equivalent to alcan ( a ) henna (plant) (< Medieval Latin alchanna < Arabic al the + hinnā̉ henna) + -eta diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

For rosy cheeks, alkanet and cochineal roots were used as the basis for rouge.

From BBC • May 10, 2013

The antimony, too, with which she darkened them had gone, and with it the alkanet she had used on her cheeks.

From Mary Magdalen by Saltus, Edgar

Cochineal and alkanet root pounded and dissolved in brandy, make good colouring; but blanc mange should never be served, without raspberry cream or syllabub to eat with it.

From The Virginia Housewife by Randolph, Mary

Color the grease very strongly with alkanet root, then proceed as for the manufacture of saponaceous cream.

From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by Piesse, George William Septimus

Then put in a pennyworth of alkanet root tied up in a rag, with the jar closed, and boil it till it becomes red.

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Eaton, Mary, fl. 1823-1849