alkanet

[ al-kuh-net ]
/ ˈæl kəˌnɛt /

noun

a European plant, Alkanna tinctoria, of the borage family.
the root of this plant, yielding a red dye.
the dye itself.
any of several similar hairy plants, as the bugloss, Anchusa officinalis, or a puccoon of the genus Lithospermum.

Origin of alkanet

1300–50; Middle English < Old Spanish alcaneta, equivalent to alcan(a) henna (plant) (< Medieval Latin alchanna < Arabic al the + hinnā̉ henna) + -eta diminutive suffix

Example sentences from the Web for alkanet

British Dictionary definitions for alkanet

alkanet
/ (ˈælkəˌnɛt) /

noun

a European boraginaceous plant, Alkanna tinctoria, the roots of which yield a red dye
Also called: anchusin, alkannin the dye obtained from this plant
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
another name for puccoon (def. 1)

Word Origin for alkanet

C14: from Spanish alcaneta, diminutive of alcana henna, from Medieval Latin alchanna, from Arabic al the + hinnā' henna