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Word of the day/2023/July 12
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Word of the day
for
July 12
heliotrope
n
(
countable
,
botany
,
also
figuratively
)
A
plant
with
flowers
which
turn
to
face
and
follow
the
sun
, such as
(
archaic
)
marigolds
and
sunflowers
.
(
specifically
)
A plant of the
genus
Heliotropium
, especially the
common heliotrope
(
Heliotropium arborescens
) which has
clusters
of
purple
flowers with a
strong
fragrance
.
With a qualifying word
: any of
various
plants
resembling
those of the genus
Heliotropium
.
(
uncountable
)
The fragrance of
Heliotropium arborescens
flowers, or a
scent
resembling this fragrance.
(
uncountable
,
color
)
A
light
purple or
violet
colour
like that of
Heliotropium arborescens
flowers.
heliotrope:
(
countable
)
An
instrument
that
uses
a
mirror
to
reflect
sunlight
for
purposes
such as
signalling
, or
(
surveying
)
triangulation
(where the
reflected
light
is
detected
by another
surveyor
positioned
some
distance
away).
(
countable
,
historical
)
An
ancient
type
of
sundial
consisting
of a
bowl
with a
perpendicular
gnomon
mounted
in the
centre
.
(
countable
,
uncountable
,
mineralogy
)
Synonym of
bloodstone
(
“
a
green
chalcedony
that is
sprinkled
with
red
spots
or
veins
of
hematite
”
)
heliotrope
adj
Of a
light
purple
or
violet
colour
like that of
Heliotropium arborescens
flowers
.
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Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)