turnsole noun. ['tǝ:nsǝʊl] Also tournesol ['tʊǝnsɒl]. LME.
[Old French tournesole (mod. tournesol) from Italian tornasole or Spanish tornasol, from Latin tornare TURN verb + sol sun.]
1. A violet-blue or purple substance obtained from the plant Chrozophora tinctoria (see sense 2) formerly much used for colouring jellies, confectionery, wines, etc., and as a pigment. LME.
b. [app. by confusion in French.] = LITMUS. Now rare or obsolete. M19.

2. A plant whose flowers follow the sun or open and shut with the sun's motions; esp. (a) a Mediterranean plant of the spurge family, Chrozophora tinctoria, cultivated in the south of France for its colouring juice (see sense 1); (b) a heliotrope, esp. Heliotropium europaeum; (c) the sunflower, Helianthus annuus. L16.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲