1. a violet or purple dye obtained from certain lichens
Usage: archaic
2. any of various lichens from which this dye is extracted
Usage: archaic

Examples

• The medieval manuscript was illuminated with orchil ink.
• Orchil was once a valuable trade commodity in Europe.
• The purple robes were dyed with orchil from Mediterranean lichens.
• Before synthetic dyes, orchil provided rich violet colors for textiles.
• The lichen species used for orchil grows on coastal rocks.
• Historical records show orchil was exported from the Canary Islands.