turnsole

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turn·sole

(tûrn′sōl′)

1. Any of various plants that move or are believed to move in response to the sun, especially the Mediterranean species Chrozophora tinctoria.

2. See heliotrope.

[Middle English turnesole, dye made from C. tinctoria, from Old French tournesol, from Old Italian tornasole : tornare, to turn (from Latin tornāre; see turn) + sole, sun (from Latin sōl; see sāwel- in Indo-European roots).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

turnsole

(ˈtɜːnˌsəʊl)

1. (Plants) any of various plants having flowers that are said to turn towards the sun

2. (Plants) a euphorbiaceous plant, Croton tinctoria, of the Mediterranean region that yields a purple dye

3. (Dyeing) the dye extracted from this plant

[C14: from Old French tournesole, from Old Italian tornasole, from tornare to turn + sole sun, from Latin sōl sun]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

turn•sole

(ˈtɜrnˌsoʊl)

n.

1. any of several plants regarded as turning with the movement of the sun.

2. a European plant, Chrozophora tinctoria, of the spurge family, yielding a purple dye.

3. the dye itself; litmus.

[1325–75; Middle English turnesole < Middle French tournesol < Italian tornasole, literally, (it) turns (toward the) sun, on the model of Greek hēliotrópion heliotrope]

Mentioned in ?

heliotrope

References in periodicals archive ?

The reflectance spectrum shows two absorption bands at 540 nm and 580 nm (Figure 6(a)) that could be related to the presence of folium (or turnsole), a colorant produced by Chrozophora tinctoria plant, widely used on manuscripts [42].

Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies

Following the week-long visit to PROINSO's HQ in the UK, with a 2-day complementary training session on PROINSO PV Rack, TURNSOLE and SMA's inverter and energy storage solutions, Electric Solar and PROINSO have agreed to add a 4MW joint pipeline for Honduras in 2017; setting the ground for a long-term partnership between the two companies.

PROINSO's Mounting Structures Selected for 2MW Rooftop Project in Honduras

It is identified as dyer's croton, giradol, or turnsole and is inhabitant to Africa, tropical Asia, and Europe [9].

Pharmacological Evaluation of Chrozophora tinctoria as Wound Healing Potential in Diabetic Rat's Model

Look at the variety of both abstract and concrete entities, which carry Old Sol's name (5): An element (Helium), a body part (solar plexus), a geographical area (the Sun Belt of the United States), several plants (e.g., Helianthus annuity or the sunflower, heliotrope, also known as turnsole, and Helenium or sneeze-weed, also called swamp sunflower), and a North American Indian ceremony (sun dance); the latter first became the source of the name of a small town in Wyoming (Sundance with a population of 1182), then of Harry Alonzo Longabaugh's nickname (the Sundance Kid, for having stolen a horse there in 1887).

This old sole

Red came from sandalwood, purple from turnsole, a Mediterranean plant, and black from boiled blood.