sb. and a. [a. F. or Sp. carmin, in med.L. carmīn-us, contracted from carmesīn-us, f. Sp. carmesí CRIMSON, a. Arab. qirmazī ‘crimson,’ f. qirmiz, KERMES, ALKERMES, the scarlet grain insect.]
1. A beautiful red or crimson pigment obtained from cochineal. b. Chem. The coloring matter of cochineal; = CARMINIC acid.
[c. 1450. Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.), 93. Lacca … de qua et urina humana fit carminum.]
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, 2. It is of no other Use, that I know of, in France, but to make Carmine.
1756. Connoisseur, No. 110. Fixing a high duty upon rouge and carinine.
1791. Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, II. II. III. iii. 180. Carmine is the lake obtained from cochineal by means of alum.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 39. Weak acetic solution of carmine [has] no power of colouring living protoplasm.
2. transf. As the name of a color.
1799. H. Hunter, trans. St. Pierre’s Stud. Nat., I. 583. The azure insect deposited in a goblet of carmine.
1828. Southey, Ep. Cunningham. To give his cheeks that deep carmine engrain’d.
1870. Emma Marshall, C. Kingscote, 30. A sky where amber melted into the softest carmine.
3. a. attrib. or as adj. Of this color; deep crimson. Carmine Spar = CARMINITE. b. in comb., qualifying other adjs. of color, as carmine-crimson, -purple, etc.
1737–59. P. Miller, Gard. Dict., Anchusa … 2 … Perennial wild Borage with a Carmine Flower.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., i. (1852), 14. A most beautiful carmine-red fibrous matter.
1882. Garden, 1 April, 210/1. The fine bright carmine flowers of this plant. Ibid., 21 Oct., 354/1. Bracts of a bright carmine-crimson colour. 14 Oct., 347/2. Dahlias … rich carmine-purple.
