Heliotrope (noun)
hel-ee-oh-trow-p
A plant of the borage family, cultivated for its fragrant purple or blue flowers which are used in perfume./ A light purple colour, named after the flowers of the heliotrope.
Old English eliotropus (originally applied to various plants whose flowers turn towards the sun), via Latin from Greek hēliotropion ‘plant turning its flowers to the sun’, from hēlios ‘sun’ + trepein ‘to turn’. The spelling was influenced by French héliotrope.
Example sentences
“Heliotrope grew along the banks.”
Wonky (adj) won-kee Not straight or balanced, off kilter. First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol. (more…)
