alkanet

American  

[al-kuh-net] / ˈæl kəˌnɛt /

noun

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

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

3. the dye itself.

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

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alkanet British  

/ 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

3. 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

4. another name for puccoon

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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

For rosy cheeks, alkanet and cochineal roots were used as the basis for rouge.

From BBC • May 10, 2013

On removing from the fire, add three or four small pieces of alkanet root, and keep the vessel closely covered for several hours.

From The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness A Complete Hand Book for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society by Hartley, Florence

The ancients deemed this plant one of the four “cordial flowers” for cheering the spirits, the others being the rose, violet, and alkanet.

From The Browning Cyclop?dia A Guide to the Study of the Works of Robert Browning by Berdoe, Edward

Rose Lip-Salve.—8 ounces sweet almond oil, 4 ounces prepared mutton suet, 1� ounces white wax, 2 ounces spermaceti, 20 drops otto; steep a small quantity of alkanet root in the oil, and strain before using.

From The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness A Complete Hand Book for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society by Hartley, Florence

Color red with two-penny worth of alkanet root.

From The Ladies Book of Useful Information Compiled from many sources by Anonymous