orchil
(ˈɔːtʃɪl)
Forms: 5–8 orchell, 6–8 orchel, 6–9 orchall, (6 orcheall, orcall), 7–9 orchal, (8 orcheil, orselle, oricelle, 9 orseille), 9 orchil, -ill. See also archil.
[a. OF. orchel, orcheil (late orseil), mod.F. orseille, in It. orcello, earlier oricello, OSp. orchillo, mod.Sp. archilla. Origin uncertain: see archil.]
1. A red or violet dye prepared from certain lichens, esp. Roccella tinctoria.
| 1483 Act 1 Rich. III, c. 8 Preamble, The Colours made with the which Orchell..faden away. Ibid. §15 Orchell or Cork called Jarecork [Fr. Orchel ou Cork appellez Jarecork]. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 188 The Crafte to make Orchell. 1532–3 Act 24 Hen. VIII, c. 2 With good and sufficient corke or orchall. 1695 Lond. Gaz. No. 3086/4 He also manufactures the Blue-Cake-Orchal..and the Blue Liquid Orchal for Scotland. 1771 Woulfe in Phil. Trans. LXI. 129 Cochineal, Dutch litmus, orchel,..and many other colouring substances. 1866 Treas. Bot. 820/2 Orchil, Archil, Orchal, or Orchill, various names for the dye prepared from Orchella-weed. 1897 Allbutt's Syst. Med. II. 86 note, The clubs are best stained with orseille or orange rubine. |
2. The lichen Roccella tinctoria, or other species from which the dye is obtained.
| 1758 Phil. Trans. L. 653 The orchel, or Canary-weed. 1813 E. Bancroft Philos. Perm. Colours (ed. 2) I. Introd. 42 That species of lichen which is now called orchall. 1877 Major Discov. Pr. Henry ix. 123 Others went..to gather orchil for dyeing. |