cochineal

English Thesaurus

1. Mexican red scale insect that feeds on cacti; the source of a red dye (noun.animal)

hypernym	:	scale insect,
definition	:	small homopterous insect that usually lives and feeds on plants and secretes a protective waxy covering (noun.animal)

member meronym	:	dactylopius, genus dactylopius,
definition	:	type genus of the Dactylopiidae (noun.animal)

2. a red dyestuff consisting of dried bodies of female cochineal insects (noun.substance)

hypernym	:	dye, dyestuff,
definition	:	a usually soluble substance for staining or coloring e.g. fabrics or hair (noun.substance)