cochineal

American  

[koch-uh-neel, koh-chuh-, koch-uh-neel, koh-chuh-] / ˌkɒtʃ əˈnil, ˌkoʊ tʃə-, ˈkɒtʃ əˌnil, ˈkoʊ tʃə- /

noun

1. a red dye prepared from the dried bodies of the females of the cochineal insect, Dactylopius coccus, which lives on cactuses of Mexico, Central America, and other warm regions.

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cochineal British  

/ ˌkɒtʃɪˈniːl, ˈkɒtʃɪˌniːl /

noun

1. Also called: cochineal insect. a Mexican homopterous insect, Dactylopius coccus, that feeds on cacti

2. a crimson substance obtained from the crushed bodies of these insects, used for colouring food and for dyeing

3. 1. the colour of this dye

   2. ( as adjective )

      cochineal shoes

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Etymology

Origin of cochineal

1575–85; < Middle French cochinille < Spanish cochinilla the insect; of obscure origin; perhaps to be identified with Spanish cochinilla sow bug (assuming a likeness between it and the female cochineal insect), diminutive of cochina sow, but chronology is doubtful

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cochineal

That vibrant red, a hue prized in Zapotec culture for 2,000 years, is derived from the cochineal, a tiny insect that thrives on nopal cactus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2024

By the 1800s, synthetic chemical dyes, cheaper to produce and more plentiful, began to replace cochineal dyes.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2023

During this Era of Exploration, consumers also got their pink cheeks and lips from other pigments like carmine, derived from cochineal insects harvested in Central and South America under similar conditions.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 21, 2023

Colorful covers, for example, relied on a variety of sources — such as minerals found in soil and beetles in Mexico, which were used to produce crimson cochineal.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 3, 2022

As I sat before the looking glass brushing cochineal on my cheeks, a gypsyish-looking man with a high forehead and a mane of curly black hair came up behind me.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

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