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. (Chem.) 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 c...
