crottle means Any of various lichens gathered for dyeing, especially those of the genus Parmelia. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
Why this word is great
CROTTLE — [Noun] A common name for various lichens, especially of the genus *Parmelia*, gathered for use in dyeing wool a soft, brownish hue. From Scots *crottle*, from Scottish Gaelic *crotal* (lichen). Unlike *orchil* (which denotes a specific, vivid purple dye from coastal species) or *moss* (a botanically distinct, non-vascular plant), crottle is the humble, terrestrial source itself and the promise of its earthy color. It is the leathery, grey-green crust scraped from a rain-slicked boulder; the slow simmer that releases a scent of peat and wet stone; the wool emerging in the muted, durable brown of a weathered hillside—a patient alchemy of extraction from the overlooked margins.
noun
- Any of various lichens gathered for dyeing, especially those of the genus Parmelia.“It was known and uſed as a dye-ſtuff in the Highlands of Scotland by the name of corkes or crottel, ſome hundred years ago.”