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carmine

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carmine¹

  • /ˈkɑːmaɪn/ UK
  • /ˈkɑɹmaɪn/ US

Where it comes from

PIE word

*kʷŕ̥mis

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kʷŕ̥mis

Proto-Indo-Iranian *kŕ̥miš

Persian کرمست* (*kermest)bor.

Arabic قِرْمِز (qirmiz)bor.

Medieval Latin *carminium?

French carminder.

English carmine

From French carmin, from irregular Medieval Latin carminium, itself from Arabic قِرْمِز (qirmiz, “crimson, kermes”) from Persian *کرمست (*kermest), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kŕ̥miš (“worm”), plus or with influence from Latin minium. Compare crimson and kermes.

noun carmines

  1. countable, uncountable A purplish-red pigment, made from dye obtained from the cochineal beetle; carminic acid or any of its derivatives. 1967, Time, "The Case of the Dubious Dye," 6 January, 1967, https://web.archive.org/web/20130721101257/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,843172,00.html Cases of cubana salmonellosis in three other states were traced to carmine red, and supplies were called in. […] But authorities have
  2. countable, uncountable A purplish-red colour, resembling that pigment. He wore a great coat in midsummer, being affected with the trembling delirium, and his face was the color of carmine.

Similar: crimson, cochineal, C.I. 75470, E120

adjective

  1. Of the purplish red colour shade carmine.

Carmine²

Where it comes from

The given name is borrowed from Italian Carmine.

proper noun Carmines

  1. A male given name from Italian.
  2. A surname from Italian.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: scarlet, crimson, ruby-red, red, ruddy, reddish, cerise, cherry-red, ruby, cherry, blood-red, colored, chromatic, cardinal, cochineal, indigo

noun

Similar: crimson, cochineal, C.I. 75470, E120

Translations

Every language

noun purplish-red pigment

Españolcarmín
中文洋紅 /洋红 yánghóng
हिन्दीक़िरमिज़ qirmiz, क़िरमिज़ी qirmizī, किरमिजी kirmijī
Portuguêscarmim, carmesim
DeutschKarmin
Italianocarminio
Ελληνικάκαρμίνη karmíni
Românăcarmin, cârmâz, coșenilă
Русскийкарми́н karmín
עבריתכַּרְמִיל karmíl

noun purplish-red colour

Españolcarmín
हिन्दीक़िरमिज़ qirmiz, क़िरमिज़ी qirmizī, किरमिजी kirmijī
Portuguêscarmim, carmesim
DeutschKarmin
Italianocarminio, granata, amaranto, cremisi
Ελληνικάκαρμίνη karmíni
Românăcarmin
Русскийкарми́нный karmínnyj
Tiếng Việtđỏ yên chi

adj of the purplish red colour shade carmine

Españolcarmín
हिन्दीक़िरमिज़ी qirmizī, किरमिजी kirmijī
Portuguêscarmim, carmesim
Deutschkarminrot
Italianocarminio
Românăcarmin, stacojiu, cârmâziu
Русскийкарми́нный karmínnyj

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Cite this
MLA

"carmine." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/carmine. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

carmine. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/carmine

Chicago

"carmine." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/carmine.

BibTeX
@misc{carmine_2026,
  title = {carmine},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/carmine},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}