sorrel

[sawr-uh l, sor-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sorrel ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

light reddish-brown.

a horse of this color, often with a light-colored mane and tail.

adjective

of the color sorrel.

Origin of sorrel

1400–50; late Middle English < Old French sorel, equivalent to sor brown (< Germanic) + -el diminutive suffix; see -elle

sorrel

[sawr-uh l, sor-]

noun

any of various plants belonging to the genus Rumex, of the buckwheat family, having edible acid leaves used in salads, sauces, etc.

any of various sour-juiced plants of the genus Oxalis.Compare wood sorrel.

any of various similar plants.

Origin of sorrel

1350–1400; Middle English sorell < Old French surele, equivalent to sur sour (< Germanic; akin to Old High German sūr sour) + -el diminutive suffix; see -elle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for sorrel

fawn, ginger, tan, toast, amber, brick, nut, buff, coffee, drab, dust, bronze, bay, ecru, beige, rust, copper, cinnamon, russet, puce

Examples from the Web for sorrel

Historical Examples of sorrel

A ridin' that sorrel mut, too, when she ought to be in the house washin' dishes.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
Lemon juice and the juice of sorrel will also remove ink stains, but not so easily as the concrete acid of lemons, or citric acid.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Wash and clean a quantity of sorrel, put it into a stewpan that will just hold it, with a piece of butter, and cover it close.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Wash some roots of sorrel quite clean, bruise them in a mortar, and steep them in white wine vinegar for two or three days.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Said the doctor, nodding his head knowingly, 'Have you got a sorrel horse then?'
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;
Various

British Dictionary definitions for sorrel

sorrel

noun

a light brown to brownish-orange colour
(as adjective)a sorrel carpet

a horse of this colour

Word Origin for sorrel

C15: from Old French sorel, from sor a reddish brown, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch soor desiccated

sorrel

noun

any of several polygonaceous plants of the genus Rumex, esp R. acetosa, of Eurasia and North America, having acid-tasting leaves used in salads and saucesSee also dock 4, sheep sorrel

short for wood sorrel

Word Origin for sorrel

C14: from Old French surele, from sur sour, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German sūr sour

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

Word Origin and History for sorrel

adj.

"reddish brown," especially of horses, mid-14c., from Old French sorel, from sor "yellowish-brown," probably from Frankish *saur "dry," or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *sauza- (cf. Middle Dutch soor "dry," Old High German soren "to become dry," Old English sear "withered, barren;" see sere). Perhaps a diminutive form in French.

small perennial plant, late 14c., from Old French surele (12c., Modern French surelle), from sur "sour," from Frankish *sur or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *sura- "sour" (cf. Old High German, Old English sur "sour;" see sour (adj.)). So called for the taste of its leaves.