noun
- A violet or purple dye obtained from lichens, used historically in textile dyeing and as a chemical indicator.
Usage: plural of archil; also called orchil or orseille; historical/technical term
Examples
- Medieval dyers used archils extracted from lichens to create rich purple fabrics.
- The chemist tested the solution with archils to determine its pH level.
- Archils were valuable trade goods in Renaissance Europe due to their vibrant color properties.
- The textile workshop imported archils from lichen-rich regions to dye their finest cloths.