alkanet

[ al-kuh-net ]

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

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

  1. the dye itself.

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

Origin of alkanet

1
1300–50; Middle English <Old Spanish alcaneta, equivalent to alcan(a) henna (plant) (<Medieval Latin alchanna<Arabic al the + hinnā̉ henna) + -eta diminutive suffix

Words Nearby alkanet

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How to use alkanet in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alkanet

alkanet

/ (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

  1. 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

  2. another name for puccoon (def. 1)

Origin of alkanet

1
C14: from Spanish alcaneta, diminutive of alcana henna, from Medieval Latin alchanna, from Arabic al the + hinnā' henna

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