heliotrope
Definitions
A plant that turns its flowers or leaves toward the sun, esp. one with fragrant purple flowers.
向阳植物，天芥菜（尤指开芳香紫花、随日转向的植物）。
A light pinkish-purple colour.
淡紫色，粉紫色。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedhelio- (sun) + trope (a turning) = a plant that turns toward the sun. Greek hēlios (sun) + tropos (turn). The flower's habit of facing the sun named it; its purple bloom later named a colour.
Root trop still carries 11 more wordsWhy It Means This
A perfect picture of the root: helio (sun) + trope (turn) = 'sun-turner.' The classic image is a flower head following the sun across the sky. From the flower's pinkish-purple petals, English also took heliotrope as a colour name — a soft mauve. So one Greek compound gives you both a plant and a shade of purple.
Common Collocations
- 1.fragrant heliotrope芳香的天芥菜
- 2.a shade of heliotrope一抹淡紫色
- 3.heliotrope flowers天芥菜花
Example Sentences
- 1.
The heliotrope turned its purple blossoms to follow the afternoon sun.
- 2.
Her dress was a soft heliotrope that shimmered in the evening light.
- 3.
A border of heliotrope filled the garden with a sweet vanilla scent.