/al"keuh net'/ , n.
1. a European plant, Alkanna tinctoria, of the borage family.
2. the root of this plant, yielding a red dye.
3. the dye itself.
4. any of several similar hairy plants, as the bugloss, Anchusa officinalis, or a puccoon of the genus Lithospermum.
[ 1300-50; ME alcaneta, equiv. to alcan ( a ) henna (plant) ( alchanna al the + hinna' henna) + -eta dim. suffix ]