Heliotrope

['hiːlɪətrəʊp;'hel-] or ['hɛlɪətrop]

Definition

(n.) An instrument or machine for showing when the sun arrived at the tropics and equinoctial line.

(n.) A plant of the genus Heliotropium; -- called also turnsole and girasole. H. Peruvianum is the commonly cultivated species with fragrant flowers.

(n.) An instrument for making signals to an observer at a distance, by means of the sun's rays thrown from a mirror.

(n.) See Bloodstone (a).

Editor: Ozzie

Synonyms and Synonymous

n. [1]. (Bot.) Turnsole.[2]. (Min.) Bloodstone.

Checked by Aubrey

Definition

n. a genus of plants of the natural order Boraginace many species with fragrant flowers esp. the Peruvian heliotrope with small lilac-blue flowers and a fragrance resembling vanilla or cherry-pie: (min.) a bloodstone a variety of chalcedony of a dark-green colour variegated with red: a mirror placed at a distant station and adjusted by clockwork so that at a particular hour of the day (arranged beforehand) the light of the sun shall be reflected from the mirror directly to the surveyor's station.—adjs. Heliotrop′ic -al.—adv. Heliotrop′ically.—ns. Heliot′ropism Heliot′ropy the tendency that the stem and leaves of a seedling plant have to bend towards and the roots from the light when placed in a transparent vessel of water within reach of the light of a window.

Checked by Alfreda