cochenille
French
Etymology
From Middle French cochenille, cossenille, probably borrowed from Spanish cochinilla, itself probably a diminutive of cochino. Other proposed etymologies, such as Latin coccinus through the intermediate of Italian cocciniglia, or Ancient Greek κόκκινος (kókkinos) through a Spanish intermediate, are less likely.
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
cochenille f (plural cochenilles)
- cochineal (insect & pigment)
Further reading
- “cochenille”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.