cochineal insect

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noun

any of various small red scale insects of the family Dactylopiidae, related to the mealybugs and characterized by an oval segmented body with white waxy plates and short legs and antennae: the source of cochineal.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cochineal insect

First recorded in 1795–1805

Words nearby cochineal insect

co-channel, cochin, Cochinchina, cochineal, cochineal cactus, cochineal insect, Cochise, cochlea, cochlear duct, cochlear implant, cochleate

How to use cochineal insect in a sentence

It isn’t as widely understood that tiny creatures like lac bugs, silkworms, and cochineal insects have played fundamental roles in global development.
Why We Should Eat Crickets. And Other Bug Ideas - Facts So Romantic|Mary Ellen Hannibal|October 2, 2020|Nautilus
The cochineal insect is indigenous here, and is found upon the Cactus opuntia.
Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes|Sylvia Sunshine
In hot climates, in which the cochineal insect delights, it has been preserved, and is cultivated as an article of commerce.
The Insect World|Louis Figuier
The Mexicans wove many kinds of cotton cloth, sometimes using as a dye the rich crimson of the cochineal insect.
The Story of Extinct Civilizations of the West|Robert E. Anderson

The cochineal insect of Mexico and Central America is solely nurtured by the native growth of cacti.
Aztec Land|Maturin M. Ballou
The crimson portion owes its hue to being steeped in a bath with the little cochineal insect; and the blue to indigo.
Tales of the Toys, Told by Themselves|Frances Freeling Broderip