alkanet
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al·ka·net
(ăl′kə-nĕt′)n.
1.
a. A European perennial herb (Alkanna tinctoria) having cymes of blue flowers and red roots.
b. The root of this plant or the red dye extracted from the root.
2. Any of various hairy plants of the Eurasian genus Anchusa, having blue or violet flowers grouped on elongated cymes.
[Middle English, from Old Spanish alcaneta, diminutive of alcana, henna, from Medieval Latin alchanna, from Arabic al-ḥinnā', the henna : al-, the + ḥinnā', henna; see henna.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
alkanet
(ˈælkəˌnɛt)n
1. (Plants) a European boraginaceous plant, Alkanna tinctoria, the roots of which yield a red dye
2. (Dyeing) Also called: anchusin or alkannin the dye obtained from this plant
3. (Plants) any of certain hairy blue-flowered Old World plants of the boraginaceous genus Anchusa (or Pentaglottis), such as A. sempervirens of Europe. See also bugloss
4. (Plants) another name for puccoon1
[C14: from Spanish alcaneta, diminutive of alcana henna, from Medieval Latin alchanna, from Arabic al the + hinnā' henna]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
al•ka•net
(ˈæl kəˌnɛt)n.
1. a European plant, Alkanna tinctoria, of the borage family.
2. the root of this plant, yielding a red dye.
3. the dye itself.
4. any of several related plants cultivated for red dye or as an ornamental.
[1300–50; Middle English < Old Spanish alcaneta]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| Noun | 1. |  alkanet - perennial or biennial herb cultivated for its delicate usually blue flowersanchusa - any of various Old World herbs of the genus Anchusa having one-sided clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers |
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