Heliotrope

hē′li-o-trōp, n. a genus of plants of the natural order Boraginaceæ , many species with fragrant flowers, esp. the Peruvian heliotrope , with small lilac-blue flowers and a fragrance resembling vanilla or cherry-pie: ( min. ) a bloodstone, a variety of chalcedony of a dark-green colour variegated with red: a mirror placed at a distant station and adjusted by clockwork, so that at a particular hour of the day (arranged beforehand) the light of the sun shall be reflected from the mirror directly to the surveyor's station.— adjs. Heliotrop′ic , -al .— adv. Heliotrop′ically .— ns. Heliot′ropism , Heliot′ropy , the tendency that the stem and leaves of a seedling plant have to bend towards, and the roots from, the light when placed in a transparent ve el of water within reach of the light of a window. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. hēliotropion — hēlios , the sun, tropos , a turn.]