Forms: 6–8 cochenille, cochinelle, 7–8 cochineel, -inele, -eneal, -enile, 7– cochineal; also 7 cochenel(le, -anele, -oneel, cochinella, cochonillio; 6 cuchinilla, 7 cuchineel, -inile, -eneale, -anel, coucheneele, -enille; 6–7 cutchenele, 7 cutcheneale, -ineale, -yneale, -aneale, -anel(e, -oneal(e; (7 quitchineel, chochineel, scutchenel, etc.). [a. F. cochenille, ad. Sp. cochinilla or It. cocciniglia. The latter is evidently a deriv. of It. coccino, L. coccinum scarlet robe or vesture, It. coccineo, L. coccineus scarlet-colored, f. coccum scarlet, ‘grain,’ orig. ‘berry,’ in It. cocco ‘graine to dye scarlet with’ (Florio). Sp. has also cochinilla ‘wood-louse,’ dim. of cochina ‘sow,’ and it has been said that cochinilla ‘cochineal’ is the same word, from the resemblance of the dried cochineal insects to wood-lice in the same state; but this is app. a secondary association arising out of the fortuitous identity of the words.]
1. A dye-stuff consisting of the dried bodies of the insect Coccus cacti, which is found on several species of cactus in Mexico and elsewhere. It is used for making carmine, and as a brilliant scarlet dye; also in medicine as an antispasmodic, etc.
It was at first commonly supposed to be the berry or grain of a plant: see COCCUS, ALKERMES.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 63. I have laden for your account … five Roves of Cochinelle, very excellent good, and of fine colour.
1598. Florio, Cociniglia, a kinde of rich flie or graine comming out of India to dye scarlet with, called Cutchenele.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. i. (1641), 86/1. There grows untill’d the ruddy Cochenel.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 72. The berrie of Cochenile, or any other berrie, fruit … or earthe, fitte for dying.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, IV. xxiii. 275. Small wormes breede in the leaves of this tree…; this is that Indian Cochenille, so famous, and wherewith they die in graine.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, VI. 225. Wee … tooke her with … fiftie Chests of Cutchanele.
a. 1683. Oldham, Wks. & Rem. (1686), 27.
| Export the Gospel, like mere ware, for sale, | |
| And truckt for Indigo, and Cutchoneal. |
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3863/3. The Dixwell Ketch … richly laden with Cochenile, Coco, Logwood [etc.].
1822. Imison, Sc. & Art, II. 186. Wool is died Scarlet … by Cochineal.
1861. Tylor, Anahuac, ix. 227. Vanilla and cochineal were first found in Mexico.
2. The color of cochineal-dye, scarlet.
1632. Massinger, Maid of Honour, V. i. And I … Will have my points of cochineal and yellow.
3. The insect (Coccus cacti) that produces this dye; more fully cochineal-insect.
[1594. Blundevil, Exerc., V. xi. (ed. 7), 555. The chiefe Merchandizes that come from Mexicana into Europe are … Cochenilles to dy with [etc.].
1603. Breton, Post with Packet. I haue sent you likewise a Tunne of Cuchiniles.]
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 228. The Cochineel is an Insect, bred in a sort of Fruit much like the Prickle-Pear.
1730. Rutty, Cochineal, in Phil. Trans., XXXVI. 268. The Curious may be now assured of a Thing which has been very uncertain for so many Years, that the Cochineals were really little Animals.
1764. Grainger, Sugar-Cane, II. 171. Thus cochinille Feeds on the Indian fig.
1861. Hulme, trans. Moquin-Tandon, II. III. i. 73. The principal care which is required in raising the Cochineals.
1870. Yeats, Nat. Hist. Comm., 344. The cochineal insect is small, rugose, and of a deep mulberry colour.
4. Cochineal Fig: the cactus-plant, Opuntia (Nopalea) cochinillifera, on which the cochineal-insect feeds. Also cochineal-tree.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 124. The Fryars get plentiful Incomes … in other places where they plant Cochoneel-Trees.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxi. 289. The Cochineal Fig on which the insect of that name feeds.
