Hypertext Webster Gateway: "cochineal"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Cochineal \Coch"i*neal\ (?; 277), [Sp. cochinilla, dim. from L.
coccineus, coccinus, scarlet, fr. coccum the kermes berry, G.
? berry, especially the kermes insect, used to dye scarlet,
as the cohineal was formerly supposed to be the grain or seed
of a plant, and this word was formerly defined to be the
grain of the {Quercus coccifera}; but cf. also Sp. cochinilla
wood louse, dim. of cochina sow, akin to F. cochon pig.]
A dyestuff consisting of the dried bodies of females of the
{Coccus cacti}, an insect native in Mexico, Central America,
etc., and found on several species of cactus, esp. {Opuntia
cochinellifera}.
Note: These insects are gathered from the plant, killed by
the application of heat, and exposed to the sun to dry.
When dried they resemble small, rough berries or seeds,
of a brown or purple color, and form the cochineal of
the shops, which is used for making carmine, and also
as a red dye.
Note: Cochineal contains as its essential coloring matter
carminic acid, a purple red amorphous substance which
yields carmine red.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
cochineal
n 1: a red dyestuff consisting of dried bodies of female
cochineal insects
2: Mexican red scale insect that feeds on cacti; the source of
a red dye [syn: {cochineal insect}, {Dactylopius coccus}]
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