sorrel

Meanings

Noun

• Any of various plants with acidic leaves, especially
• A drink, consumed especially in the Caribbean around Christmas, made from the flowers of Hibiscus sabdariffa: hibiscus tea.
• A brown colour, with a tint of red.

Adjective

• Of a brown colour, with a tint of red.

Origin

• From Middle English sorel, from Old French sorel, surele, from Old French sur, of Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *sūraz; equivalent to sour + -el. Compare Old English sūre, Icelandic súra, Dutch zuring. More at sour.
• From Middle English *sorel, from Middle French *sorel, sorrel, surrel, from Middle French sor, probably from Old Frankish *saur, from Proto-Germanic *sauzaz, from Proto-Indo-European *saus-; equivalent to sore + -el. Cognate with Middle Dutch soor, Old High German sōrēn, and Old English sēar. See also sere.