archil
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary:
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Ar·chil
n.
[OF. orchel, orcheil, It. orcella, oricello, or OSp. orchillo. Cf. Orchil.]
1. A violet dye obtained from several species of lichen (Roccella tinctoria, etc.), which grow on maritime rocks in the Canary and Cape Verd Islands, etc. Tomlinson.
2. The plant from which the dye is obtained. [Written also orchal and orchil.]
archil (är'kĭl, -chĭl) or orchil (ôr'-), blue, red, or purple dye extracted from several species of lichen, also called orchella weeds, found in various parts of the world. Commercial archil is either a powder (called cudbear), a pasty mass (called archil), or a drier paste (called persis).
