annatto

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

noun, plural an·nat·tos.

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

Origin of annatto

Borrowed into English from Carib around 1675–85

Words nearby annatto

annapolis, annapolis royal, annapurna, annates, annatol, annatto, anne, anne boleyn, anne de beaujeu, anne of austria, anne of bohemia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for annatto

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