cochineal: Meaning and Definition of

coch•i•neal

Pronunciation: (koch"u-nēl', kō"chu-, koch'u-nēl", kō'chu-), [key]
— n.
  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.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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