annatto

American  

[uh-nat-oh, uh-nah-toh] / əˈnæt oʊ, əˈnɑ toʊ /

Sometimes anatto

noun

plural

annattos

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

2. Also arnatto 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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annatto British  

/ əˈnætəʊ /

noun

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

2. 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

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Etymology

Origin of annatto

Borrowed into English from Carib around 1675–85

Example Sentences

Crafted in the U.K. by a team of “expert cheesemakers,” TJ’s Shropshire Blue English Cheese is made with pasteurized cow’s milk, vegetarian-friendly microbial enzyme and annatto, which gives the cheese a beautiful pale orange color.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2025

They'll also add natural coloring agents such as beetroot, annatto, caramel and vegetable juices that make plant-based alternatives look more like the color of traditional meat.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024

The chunks of the beef are submerged in a soup stained red with ground annatto seeds and spiked with 17 other ingredients that give the consommé its body, fragrance and sting.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2020

The famed actress of stage and screen had just poured ruby red annatto seeds into an oversize pan.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2019

She took her meals to her bedroom and annatto water for her to wash in and she kept her up to date on everything that happened in Macondo.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez