carmine

Meanings

Noun

• A purplish-red pigment, made from dye obtained from the cochineal beetle; carminic acid or any of its derivatives.
• A purplish-red colour, resembling that pigment.

Adjective

• Of the purplish red colour shade carmine.

Related

Similar words

• crimson, cochineal, C.I. 75470, E120

Origin

• From French carmin, from irregular Medieval Latin carminium, itself from Arabic قِرْمِز ("crimson, kermes") (from Sanskrit कृमिज ("produced by worms"), from कृमि), plus or with influence from Latin minium. Compare crimson and kermes.