Carmine

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A rich red or crimson color with a shade of purple.

2. A beautiful pigment, or a lake, of this color, prepared from cochineal, and used in miniature painting.

3. The essential coloring principle of cochineal, extracted as a purple-red amorphous mass. It is a glucoside and possesses acid properties; -- hence called also carminic acid. Carmine red (Chem.), a coloring matter obtained from carmine as a purple-red substance, and probably allied to the phthaleïns.