Meanings
plural orchils · alternative archil · alternative archall · alternative orchel · alternative orchal
- countableuncountableAny of several lichens, especially those of the genera Roccella and Lecanora.
Synonyms: orchella weed, archil lichen
- countableuncountableThe purple dye, orcein, extracted from them (especially Lecanora tartarea) and often used as substitute for Tyrian purple.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of several lichens, especially those of the genera Roccella and Lecanora.
nounThe purple dye, orcein, extracted from them (especially Lecanora tartarea) and often used as substitute for Tyrian purple.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinōricilla
- Italianoricello
- Arabic[script needed]
- Old Catalanorxella
- Old Frenchorchel
- Middle Englishorchell
- Englishorchil
From Middle English orchell, from Old French orchel, orseil, from Old Catalan orxella (influenced by dialectal Arabic [script needed] ('urjālla)), from Italian oricello, from Latin ōricilla, diminutive of ōricula (variant of auricula), both diminutives of auris (“ear”)) + illa (a double diminutive suffix) or from auris (“ear”) + cula + illa. The name of the dye was influenced by the visual resemblance of the lichen used in production to a small ear.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Old Catalan
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French orseille f orcéine
- orseille f orcéineTranslations
Italian oricello
- oricelloTranslations
Portuguese orcina
- orcinaTranslations
Spanish urchilla orcina
- urchilla orcinaTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
orchil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orchil
“orchil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orchil. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “orchil,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orchil.
Source: orchil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.