n. 1. Any of various plants that move or are believed to move in response to the sun, especially the Mediterranean species Chrozophora tinctoria. 2. See heliotrope. [Middle English turnesole, dye made from C. tinctoria, from Old French tournesol, from Old Italian tornasole : tornare, to turn (from Latin tornāre; see TURN) + sole, sun (from Latin sōl; see sāwel- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] |
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