noun
cochineal
KAH-chuh-neel/ˈkɑːtʃəniːl/
A cactus-dwelling scale insect used to produce red dye.
Dried cochineal insects sit beside the crimson pigment made from their bodies.
Etymology
French cochenille named the insect-based crimson dye. Its deeper origin is disputed: it may connect with a word meaning “scarlet-colored,” while another account connects it with a name for a wood louse.
In context
the redcoats of the british army seen in the revolutionary war were dyed with cochineal
More examples
- Farmers raise cochineals on prickly pear cacti.
- Under a magnifying glass, the cochineal's tiny legs are visible.
- Dried cochineals provide the red dye used in some textiles.
Forms
cochineal · cochineals
Similar words
- scale insect
- Broader category that includes cochineals and many other species.