Meaning & use
cochineal
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
A bright red dye made from the dried bodies of small insects, used in food, drinks, and cosmetics.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the substance; no plural form.
Patterns
- cochineal extract
- cochineal dye
- made from cochineal
Some yogurts and candies get their pink color from cochineal.
The label said 'natural color (cochineal)' instead of listing a number.
Cochineal was once more valuable than gold in some markets.
nouncountablebiology
The small insect that lives on cactus plants and is the source of this red dye.
Grammar: Countable when referring to the insect itself: a cochineal, cochineals.
Patterns
- a cochineal insect
- cochineal bugs
Farmers in Mexico raise cochineal on prickly pear cacti.
The cochineal is a scale insect that feeds on cactus sap.
Word forms
| plural (insect) | cochineals |
|---|
Common combinations
- cochineal red
- The artist used cochineal red for the fabric.
- cochineal extract
- Check the ingredients for cochineal extract if you avoid animal products.
- made with cochineal
- These traditional sweets are made with cochineal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- carmine
- A similar red dye, often made from cochineal; carmine is the more common term in cosmetics.
- E120
- The European food additive code for cochineal; used on ingredient lists.
Commonly confused: cochineal or cochineal?
cochineal vs cochineal
Sometimes misspelled as 'cochineal' with an extra 'e' or 'cochineal' without the 'e'; the correct spelling is c-o-c-h-i-n-e-a-l.
Practice
Many people avoid cochineal because it ______.
Choose one answer.
Cochineal is a dye from insects, so it is not vegetarian. It is not artificial, sugary, or plant-based.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cochineal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.