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

How to use annatto in a sentence

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
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