Word of the Day – Heliotrope

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.”