annatto

[ uh-nat-oh, uh-nah-toh ]

/ əˈnæt oʊ, əˈnɑ toʊ /

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noun, plural an·nat·tos.

Also called lipstick tree . a small tree, Bixa orellana, of tropical America.

Also ar·nat·to

[ahr-nat-oh, -nah-toh] /ɑrˈnæt oʊ, -ˈnɑ toʊ/ . a yellowish-red dye obtained from the pulp enclosing the seeds of this tree, used for coloring fabrics, butter, varnish, etc.

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Sometimes a·nat·to .

Also called achiote.

Origin of annatto

Borrowed into English from Carib around 1675–85

Words nearby annatto

Annapolis Royal, Annapurna, Ann Arbor, annates, Annatol, annatto, Anne, anneal, Anne Boleyn, annectent, annectent gyrus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use annatto in a sentence

This may be colored with anything desired, like burnt sienna, annatto, or other coloring material.
Practical Mechanics for Boys|J. S. Zerbe
Butter is often colored with annatto, saffron, turmeric, marigold or coal-tar colors.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants|Edwin M. Bruce
If the milk was uncolored or colored with annatto the curd when thus treated will be white.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants|Edwin M. Bruce
It appears from these experiments that much more is required to dissolve it out of commercial annatto.
Scientific American Supplement, Vol. XXI., No. 531, March 6, 1886|Various

Put four pounds of salt butter into a churn, with four quarts of new milk and a small portion of annatto.
The New England Cook Book, or Young Housekeeper's Guide|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for annatto

annatto

anatto

/ (əˈnætəʊ) /

noun plural -tos

a small tropical American tree, Bixa orellana, having red or pinkish flowers and pulpy seeds that yield a dye: family Bixaceae

the yellowish-red dye obtained from the pulpy outer layer of the coat of the seeds of this tree, used for colouring fabrics, butter, varnish, etc

Word Origin for annatto

from Carib

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012