noun
- plural of orchil; violet or purple dyes obtained from certain lichens
Usage: archaic; technical
Examples
- The medieval dyers used orchils to create rich purple fabrics.
- Orchils were extracted from lichens growing on coastal rocks.
- The ancient process of making orchils required careful fermentation.
- Purple robes were often colored with expensive orchils.
- Traders imported orchils from Mediterranean regions.
- The chemistry of orchils involves complex organic compounds.