carmine Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a variable color averaging a vivid red
    cardinal.
  2. verb color carmine
  3. adjective satellite of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
    reddish; scarlet; cherry; crimson; blood-red; cerise; cherry-red; ruby-red; ruby; red; ruddy.

WordNet

Car"mine noun
Etymology
F. carmin (cf. Sp. carmin, It. carminio), contr. from LL. carmesinus purple color. See Crimson.
Definitions
  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.

Webster 1913