noun
- A purple or violet dye obtained from lichens, historically used in textile dyeing.
Usage: plural form; archaic or historical; also called cudbear or archil
Examples
- Medieval dyers prized cudbears for producing rich purple hues on wool.
- The lichen-based cudbears were eventually replaced by synthetic dyes in the 19th century.
- Historical textile records mention the import of cudbears from Scotland and Scandinavia.