Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Turnsole

Turn′soleˊ

,
Noun.
[F.
tournesol
, It.
tornasole
;
tornare
to turn (LL.
tornare
) +
sole
the sun, L.
sol
. See
Turn
,
Solar
,
Adj.
, and cf.
Heliotrope
.]
[Written also
turnsol
.]
1.
(Bot.)
(a)
A plant of the genus
Heliotropium
; heliotrope; – so named because its flowers are supposed to turn toward the sun.
(b)
The sunflower.
(c)
A kind of spurge (
Euphorbia Helioscopia
).
(d)
The euphorbiaceous plant
Chrozophora tinctoria
.
2.
(Chem.)
(a)
Litmus.
[Obs.]
(b)
A purple dye obtained from the plant turnsole. See def. 1
(d)
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Turnsole

TURN'SOLE

,
Noun.
[turn and L. sol, the sun.] A plant of the genus Heliotropium, so named because its flower is supposed to turn towards the sun.

Similar Results