cochineal
A scale insect of the species Dactylopius coccus, native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, which lives on prickly pear cacti (genus Opuntia).
Other meanings
A vivid red dye made from the dried bodies of cochineal insects.
The vivid red colour of this dye.
A kind of
- dye
Related words
- cochineal fig
Word history
From Ancient Greek "κόκκῐνος" (scarlet; (figurative) blushing).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “cochineal” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.