Definition of carmine

• n. - A rich red or crimson color with a shade of purple.
• n. - A beautiful pigment, or a lake, of this color, prepared from cochineal, and used in miniature painting.
• n. - 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.