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orchil
[ awr-kil, -chil ]
/ ˈɔr kɪl, -tʃɪl /
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noun
a violet coloring matter obtained from certain lichens, chiefly species of Roccella.
any lichen yielding this dye.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also called ar·chil [ahr-kil], /ˈɑr kɪl/, or·seille [awr-seyl, -sey, -sel] /ɔrˈseɪl, -ˈseɪ, -ˈsɛl/ .
Origin of orchil
Borrowed into English from Old French around 1475–85
Words nearby orchil
orchido-, orchidology, orchidotomy, orchid tree, orchiectomy, orchil, orchis, orchitis, orchotomy, orcinol, OR circuit
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use orchil in a sentence
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
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