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ARCHIL

 - 7 dictionary results

ar⋅chil

  [ahr-kil]
–noun
orchil.

or⋅chil

  [awr-kil, -chil]
–noun
1. a violet coloring matter obtained from certain lichens, chiefly species of Roccella.
2. any lichen yielding this dye.
Also called archil, orseille.

Origin:
1475–85; < OF
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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ar·chil   (är'kĭl, -chĭl)   
n.  Variant of orchil.
or·chil   (ôr'kĭl, -chĭl)   
n.  

  1. Any of several lichens, chiefly of the genera Roccella and Lecanora, from which a dye is obtained.

  2. The violet dyestuff obtained from any of these organisms.


[Middle English orchell, ultimately from Old Catalan orxella, perhaps of Mozarabic origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ar·chil
Pronunciation: 'är-ch&l
Variant: also or·chil /'or-/
Function: noun
1 : aviolet dye obtained from lichens (genera Rocella and Lecanora) —see CUDBEAR
2 : alichen that yields archil

Main Entry: orchil
variant of ARCHIL
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

archil

a violet dye obtained from some lichens by fermentation. It is also the term for any lichen that yields orchil (Roccella, Lecanora, Ochrolechin, and Evernia) and refers to any colour obtained from this dye.

Learn more about archil with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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