orchil

[ awr-kil, -chil ]
/ ˈɔr kɪl, -tʃɪl /

noun

a violet coloring matter obtained from certain lichens, chiefly species of Roccella.
any lichen yielding this dye.

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a creature, variously described as a serpent, lizard, or dragon, said to kill by its breath or look.
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Also called archil, orseille.

Origin of orchil

Borrowed into English from Old French around 1475–85

Words nearby orchil

orchidology, orchidometer, orchidotomy, orchiectomy, orchiepididymitis, orchil, orchio-, orchiocele, orchiopathy, orchiopexy, orchioplasty
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for orchil

British Dictionary definitions for orchil

orchil

archil

/ (ˈɔːkɪl, -tʃɪl) /

noun

any of various lichens, esp any of the genera Roccella, Dendrographa, and Lecanora
Also called: cudbear a purplish dye obtained by treating these lichens with aqueous ammonia: contains orcinol, orcein, and litmus

Word Origin for orchil

C15: from Old French orcheil, of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012