sorrel

¹ American  

[sawr-uhl, sor-] / ˈsɔr əl, ˈsɒr- /

noun

1. light reddish-brown.

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

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adjective

1. of the color sorrel.

sorrel ² American  

[sawr-uhl, sor-] / ˈsɔr əl, ˈsɒr- /

noun

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

2. any of various sour-juiced plants of the genus Oxalis.

3. any of various similar plants.

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sorrel ¹ British  

/ ˈsɒrəl /

noun

1. 1. a light brown to brownish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a sorrel carpet

2. a horse of this colour

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sorrel ² British  

/ ˈsɒrəl /

noun

1. 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 sauces See also dock 4 sheep sorrel

2. short for wood sorrel

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Etymology

Origin of sorrel¹

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

Origin of sorrel²

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

Example Sentences

One flank is covered with tranquil forests and fields where typical local crops like spinach, sorrel and chives grow.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

"Stinging nettles are a come again plant. Cow parsley, sorrel too. Strangely you can pick a lot of salads now," he says.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2024

The dish at the heart of the book is a dry-aged strip loin of beef with tomato and sorrel, and it is almost that simple a dish.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2023

Penny, a 3-year-old sorrel mare with a white blaze, had been slobbering her feed and fighting her bit, signs of a likely toothache.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023

Before them lay an open field of long, lush grass dotted with buttercup and sorrel.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques