[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/cochineal/)

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# cochineal

noun (cochineal — uncountable; a cochineal insect)

«cochineal» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A deep red dye made from tiny scale insects that live on prickly pear cacti, used to colour food, drinks, make-up and cloth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#m1)
2. The insect itself. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#m2)

### In the lessons

In history lessons cochineal was prized by the Aztecs and later shipped to Europe by the Spanish; it coloured British soldiers' red coats. In science and food labels, cochineal (carmine, E120) shows that natural colours can come from animals, so it is not vegetarian.

### Examples

- Cochineal makes a bright red colour. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#x1)
- The pink icing was coloured with cochineal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#x2)
- Cochineal comes from tiny insects that live on cacti. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#x3)
- The Aztecs used cochineal to dye cloth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#x4)
- Vegetarians check labels for cochineal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#x5)
- It takes thousands of insects to make a little cochineal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/#x6)

### Note

Say «koch-ih-NEEL». Uncountable as a dye. Also called carmine or E120.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «cochineal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cochineal/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«cochineal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/cochineal.html) on Mova free.