annatto
Americannoun
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annattos
plural
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Also called lipstick tree. a small tree, Bixa orellana, of tropical America.
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Also arnatto a yellowish-red dye obtained from the pulp enclosing the seeds of this tree, used for coloring fabrics, butter, varnish, etc.
noun
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a small tropical American tree, Bixa orellana, having red or pinkish flowers and pulpy seeds that yield a dye: family Bixaceae
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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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of annatto
Borrowed into English from Carib around 1675–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Some use an achiote paste, with ground annatto seeds.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2021
It is a pungent spice blend of achiote or annatto, salt, cumin, coriander, garlic, oregano, and black pepper.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2021
To make achiote or annatto oil: In a small saucepan over medium, heat 1 teaspoon achiote seeds with 1 cup neutral oil until warm and the oil has turned red, 1 to 3 minutes.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 5, 2021
Smoke rose from the front of the yard, along with the delicious smell of oregano and garlic, rosemary, fennel, toasted annatto.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
