cochineal
Part of speech: noun
adj
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: The noun is borrowed from Middle French cochenille (modern French cochenille), from Italian cocciniglia or Spanish cochinilla; further etymology uncertain, possibly from Latin coccineus, coccinus (“scarlet-dyed; scarlet in colour”) (whence Italian coccineo (“scarlet in colour”)) + Italian -iglia (suffix forming collective nouns), Spanish -illa (“diminutive suffix”). Coccinus is derived from Ancient Greek κόκκῐνος (kókkĭnos, “scarlet; (figurative) blushing”, adjective), from κόκκος (kókkos, “kermes oak (Quercus coccifera); insect of the genus Kermes living on the oak; scarlet dye made from crushed kermes insects”) (possibly from Pre-Greek) + -ῐνος (-ĭnos, suffix forming adjectives).
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, cochineal is not derived from Spanish cochinilla (“pill bug, especially the common pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare)”), a diminutive of cochina (“female pig, sow”) (from the animal’s shape), which coincidentally has the same spelling as cochinilla (“cochineal”).
The adjective is derived from the noun.
Inflected forms:
form: cochineals
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: cochinille
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: A scale insect of the species Dactylopius coccus, native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, which lives on prickly pear cacti (genus Opuntia).
pos: noun
tags: countable
examples: The Cochineel is an Inſect, bred in a ſort of Fruit much like the Prickle Pear. […] The Silveſter gives a colour almoſt as fair as the Cochineel; and ſo like it as to be often miſtaken for it, but it is not near ſo valuable.
A prodigious quantity of insects of all sorts (but no mosquitoes) assailed us at our evening meal. […] There were some that were larger—earwigs, cochineals, a little mole-cricket, and an enormous mantis. I stuffed a number of them into my poison-bottle.
The cochineal insects belong to the genus Dactylopius and are interesting not only on account of the dye, used in confectionery, that is obtained from them, but also because of the effect certain kinds have on their host-plants. The cochineals that infest certain kinds of prickly pear of the genus Monacantha have such an adverse effect on the plants, that the latter are completely destroyed. […] One of the cochineals that infest the last-named does have a killing effect at times, but by no means so marked.
The red dye—or cochineal red as it is called—is present in the body of cochineals, as is clearly apparent if one of the bugs is accidentally squashed. Cochineals were cultivated for their dye in the New World long before the arrival of the Spaniards. When Hernán Cortés entered Mexico in 1519 he was much taken by the widespread use of red in Aztec culture, and was downright dazzled by the magnificence of Montezuma's [i.e., Moctezuma II's] robe.
gloss: A vivid red dye made from the dried bodies of cochineal insects.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: Or if you can finde the berrie of Cochenile with whiche wee colour Stammelles, or any Roote, Berrie, Fruite, wood or earth fitte for dying, you winne a notable thing fitt for our ſtate of clothing. This Cochenile is naturall in the west Indies on that firme.
Cociniglia, a kinde of rich flie or graine comming out of India to dye ſcarlet vvith, called Cutchenele.
There liues the Sea-oake, in a little ſhel; / There grovves vntill'd the ruddy Cochenel: […]
VVithin a day or tvvo after, vve met a VVest-Indies man of vvarre, of one hundred and ſixtie tuns, a fore noone vvee fought vvith her, and then tooke her vvith one thouſand one hundred Hides, fiftie Cheſts of Cutchanele, foureteene Coffers of vvedges of Siluer, eight thouſand Rialls of eight, and ſix Coffers of the King of Spaines Treaſure, beſides the good pillage and rich Coffers of many rich Paſſengers.
Flo[rez]. Are you the ovvners / Of the ſhip that laſt night put into the Harbour? / 1 Mar[chant]. Both of the Ship, and lading. / Flo. VVhat's the fraught? / 1 Mar. Indico, Quitchineel, choiſe Chyna ſtuffs.
From this Fiſh [purpura in Latin] the Tyrians drevv a Liquor, vvith vvhich they dy'd Purple, and therefore it vvas call'd Tyrius color. This vvas in thoſe Days, vvhen they knevv no other VVay of dying this Colour, and therefore it vvas exceſſive dear, and only fit for the greateſt Perſons. Aftervvards the Scarlet Berries vvere found upon the Scarlet Oak, vvhich exceeded the Bevvty of the former Colour, and ſince then the VVeſt India Cochinille, has put dovvn both.
There is a Grove of Tuna-Trees above fifty Leagues in Length, vvhere above an hundred Tun of Cochinille might be gather'd every Year.
Naples, the capital and court of that kingdom, has alſo a conſiderable trade, and vve may likevviſe find there a good market for many American commodities, ſuch as tobacco, cacao, ſugar, cochinille &c. by bartering them for linens, ravv ſilk, and other things.
The red dye—or cochineal red as it is called—is present in the body of cochineals, as is clearly apparent if one of the bugs is accidentally squashed. […] The dye was an instant success and it spawned an industry. By the year 1600, cochineal had already become one of Mexico's prime exports, second only to silver and gold in value on a pound-per-pound basis. […] From the region of Oaxaca alone, for the period 1758 to 1780, the production of cochineal amounted on average to about 1 million pounds per year.
gloss: The vivid red colour of this dye.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: And I to make all knovv, I am not ſhallovv / VVill have my points [i.e., lace] of Cucchineale and yellovv.
These days, I'm an apprentice at a tattoo shop on Sunset. […] I just keep staring at all the ink we have, that wild variety of color, everything from rootbeer, midnight blue and cochineal to mauve, light doe, lilac, south sea green, maize, even pelican black, all lined up in these plastic caps, […]
gloss: Possessing a vivid red colour, as or as if produced from dyeing with cochineal dye (noun sense 2).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: Batavus [a tulip variety], of somewhat the same shade, was slightly taller, and perhaps with a little more cochineal color.
The principal imports arriving by sea, then as previously, were textiles, among them coarse cotton cloth, known as Surat, the Indian port from which they were shipped, as well as blue cotton cloth and cochineal cloth called kemis, fine cloth from various parts of India, coarse white cotton cloth, and unspun cotton in balls from Yaman.
Derived words: cochenillin
cochinealed
cochineal fig
cochineal tree
lac cochineal
Translations: