cochineal
[ koch-uh-neel, koh-chuh-, koch-uh-neel, koh-chuh- ]
/ ˌkɒtʃ əˈnil, ˌkoʊ tʃə-, ˈkɒtʃ əˌnil, ˈkoʊ tʃə- /
noun
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.
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
Words nearby cochineal
cochairman,
cochairperson,
cochin,
cochin china,
cochin-china,
cochineal,
cochineal cactus,
cochineal insect,
cochise,
cochlea,
cochlear aqueduct
Example sentences from the Web for cochineal
British Dictionary definitions for cochineal
cochineal
/ (ˌkɒtʃɪˈniːl, ˈkɒtʃɪˌniːl) /
noun
Also called: cochineal insect
a Mexican homopterous insect, Dactylopius coccus, that feeds on cacti
a crimson substance obtained from the crushed bodies of these insects, used for colouring food and for dyeing
- the colour of this dye
- (as adjective)cochineal shoes
Word Origin for cochineal
C16: from Old Spanish
cochinilla, from Latin
coccineus scarlet-coloured, from
coccum cochineal kermes, from Greek
kokkos kermes berry
Medical definitions for cochineal
cochineal
[ kŏch′ə-nēl′, kŏch′ə-nēl′, kō′chə-nēl′, kō′chə-nēl′ ]
n.
A red dye made of dried, pulverized female cochineal insects and used as a biological stain and as an indicator in acid-base titrations.