heliotrope
[ hee-lee-uh-trohp, heel-yuh- or, esp. British, hel-yuh- ]
/ ˈhi li əˌtroʊp, ˈhil yə- or, esp. British, ˈhɛl yə- /
noun
any hairy plant belonging to the genus Heliotropium, of the borage family, as H. arborescens, cultivated for its small, fragrant purple flowers.
any of various other plants, as the valerian or the winter heliotrope.
any plant that turns toward the sun.
a light tint of purple; reddish lavender.
Surveying.
an arrangement of mirrors for reflecting sunlight from a distant point to an observation station.
Words nearby heliotrope
helioscope,
heliosphere,
heliostat,
heliotaxis,
heliotherapy,
heliotrope,
heliotropic,
heliotropin,
heliotropism,
heliotype,
heliozoan
Example sentences from the Web for heliotrope
British Dictionary definitions for heliotrope
heliotrope
/ (ˈhiːlɪəˌtrəʊp, ˈhɛljə-) /
noun
any boraginaceous plant of the genus Heliotropium, esp the South American H. arborescens, cultivated for its small fragrant purple flowers
garden heliotrope
a widely cultivated valerian, Valeriana officinalis, with clusters of small pink, purple, or white flowers
any of various plants that turn towards the sun
- a bluish-violet to purple colour
- (as adjective)a heliotrope dress
an instrument used in geodetic surveying employing the sun's rays reflected by a mirror as a signal for the sighting of stations over long distances
another name for bloodstone
Word Origin for heliotrope
C17: from Latin
hēliotropium, from Greek
hēliotropion, from
hēlios sun +
trepein to turn