| turnsole | 1. <botany> A plant of the genus Heliotropium; heliotrope; so named because its flowers are supposed to turn toward the sun. The sunflower. A kind of spurge (Euphorbia Helioscopia). The euphorbiaceous plant Chrozophora tinctoria. 2. <chemistry> Litmus. A purple dye obtained from the plant turnsole. See def. 1 . Origin: F. Tournesol, It. Tornasole; tornare to turn (LL. Tornare) + sole the sun, L. Sol. See Turn, Solar, and cf. Heliotrope Alternative forms: turnsol. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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