turnsole means A heliotrope; so named because its flowers are supposed to turn toward the sun. It carries an Arena rating of 1410, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, turnsole ranks #269 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #664 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #1,104 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #1,522 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
Why “turnsole” is a great word
A plant whose flowers or leaves rotate to follow the sun’s daily passage across the sky, from Middle English *turnesole*, from Middle French *tournesol*, from Old French *tourner* ('to turn') + *sol* ('sun'), literally 'turn-to-the-sun.' Unlike 'heliotrope,' which names a specific genus, or 'litmus,' a chemical dye, turnsole is the older, more poetic common name for any such solar follower. It is the heavy, creaking arc of a sunflower’s head, the quiet, persistent twist of a leaf on its stem, and the faint shadow-paths traced on the ground over a long, still day—a humble witness to the one reliable motion in a capricious world.
Etymology
French tournesol
noun
- A heliotrope; so named because its flowers are supposed to turn toward the sun.
- A sunflower.
- A sun spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia).
- The euphorbiaceous plant Chrozophora tinctoria.
- A purple dye obtained from Chrozophora tinctoria.
- litmus
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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