Adjacent Words

Sorrel definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SOR'REL, a. Of a reddish color; as a sorel horse.
SOR'REL, n. A reddish color; a faint red.
SOR'REL, n. A plant of the genus Rumex, so named from its acid taste. The wood sorrel is of the genus Oxalis. The Indian red and Indian white sorrels are of the genus Hibiscus.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of a light brownish color [syn: sorrel, brownish- orange] n
1: any plant or flower of the genus Oxalis [syn: oxalis, sorrel, wood sorrel]
2: any of certain coarse weedy plants with long taproots, sometimes used as table greens or in folk medicine [syn: dock, sorrel, sour grass]
3: East Indian sparsely prickly annual herb or perennial subshrub widely cultivated for its fleshy calyxes used in tarts and jelly and for its bast fiber [syn: roselle, rozelle, sorrel, red sorrel, Jamaica sorrel, Hibiscus sabdariffa]
4: large sour-tasting arrowhead-shaped leaves used in salads and sauces [syn: sorrel, common sorrel]
5: a horse of a brownish orange to light brown color

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English sorel, noun & adjective, from Anglo-French, from sor red, auburn, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch soor dry, barren, Old English s?ar dry — more at sere Date: 15th century 1. a sorrel-colored animal; especially a light bright chestnut horse often with white mane and tail — compare chestnut I,4, bay II,1 2. a brownish orange to light brown II. noun Etymology: Middle English sorel, from Anglo-French surele, from sur, siur sour, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German s?r sour — more at sour Date: 15th century any of various plants or plant parts with sour juice: as a. any of various docks (as Rumex acetosa and R. acetosella); also the leaves used as a potherb b. wood sorrel

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. any acid-leaved herb of the genus Rumex, used in salads and for flavouring. Etymology: ME f. OF surele, sorele f. Gmc 2. adj. & n. --adj. of a light reddish-brown colour. --n. 1 this colour. 2 a sorrel animal, esp. a horse. 3 Brit. a sorel. Etymology: ME f. OF sorel f. sor yellowish f. Frank.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sorrel Sor"rel, a. [F. saur, saure, OF. sor, sore, probably of Teutonic origin; cf. D. zoor dry, LG. soor; the meaning probably coming from the color of dry leaves. See Sear, a., and cf. Sorel.] Of a yellowish or redish brown color; as, a sorrel horse.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sorrel Sor"rel, n. A yellowish or redish brown color.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sorrel Sor"rel, n. [F. surelle, fr. sur sour, fr. OHG. s?r sour. See Sour.] (Bot.) One of various plants having a sour juice; especially, a plant of the genus Rumex, as Rumex Acetosa, Rumex Acetosella, etc. Mountain sorrel. (Bot.) See under Mountain. Red sorrel. (Bot.) (a) A malvaceous plant (Hibiscus Sabdariffa) whose acid calyxes and capsules are used in the West Indies for making tarts and acid drinks. (b) A troublesome weed (Rumex Acetosella), also called sheep sorrel. Salt of sorrel (Chem.), binoxalate of potassa; -- so called because obtained from the juice of Rumex Acetosella, or Rumex Axetosa. Sorrel tree (Bot.), a small ericaceous tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) whose leaves resemble those of the peach and have a sour taste. It is common along the Alleghanies. Called also sourwood. Wood sorrel (Bot.), any plant of the genus Oxalis.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Sorrel is a plant whose leaves have a bitter taste and are sometimes used in salads and sauces.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sor'-el: the Revised Version (British and American) in Zec 1:8 for "speckled."

See COLORS.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A yellowish red. Sorrel pate; one having red hair.

Moby Thesaurus

bay, bayard, beige, brown, brownish, brownish-yellow, brunet, buckskin, calico pony, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, cocoa, cocoa-brown, coffee, coffee-brown, dapple-gray, drab, dun, dun-brown, dun-drab, ecru, fawn, fawn-colored, fuscous, gray, grege, grizzle, hazel, khaki, lurid, nut-brown, olive-brown, olive-drab, paint, painted pony, piebald, pinto, roan, seal, seal-brown, sepia, skewbald, snuff-colored, tan, taupe, tawny, toast, toast-brown, umber, umber-colored, walnut, walnut-brown, yellowish-brown