alkanet
Americannoun
-
a European plant, Alkanna tinctoria, of the borage family.
-
the root of this plant, yielding a red dye.
-
the dye itself.
-
any of several similar hairy plants, as the bugloss, Anchusa officinalis, or a puccoon of the genus Lithospermum.
noun
-
a European boraginaceous plant, Alkanna tinctoria, the roots of which yield a red dye
-
Also called: anchusin. alkannin. the dye obtained from this plant
-
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
-
another name for puccoon
Etymology
Origin of alkanet
1300–50; Middle English < Old Spanish alcaneta, equivalent to alcan ( a ) henna (plant) (< Medieval Latin alchanna < Arabic al the + hinnā̉ henna) + -eta diminutive suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For rosy cheeks, alkanet and cochineal roots were used as the basis for rouge.
From BBC ● May 10, 2013
Take out the alkanet root, and put in two pennyworth of essence of lemon, and a few drops of bergamot.
From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Eaton, Mary, fl. 1823-1849
Take of sweet oil, 8 ozs.; cantharides and oil of lemon, of each 60 drops; alkanet sufficient to colour it.
From Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets by Young, Daniel
On account, probably, of its extreme costliness, it was frequently the custom to dye the cloth with a ground of kermes or alkanet, previous to applying the Tyrian purple.
From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas
The variety under notice, violet carmine, resembles the other colours afforded by alkanet in not being able to withstand the action of light.
From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
