turnsole Meaning, Definition & Usage

Turn"sole` noun
Etymology
F. tournesol, It. tornasole; tornare to turn (LL. tornare) + sole the sun, L. sol. See Turn, Solar, a., and cf. Heliotrope.
Definitions
  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 1913