annatto
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an·nat·to
also a·nat·to (ə-nä′tō)n. pl. an·nat·tos also a·nat·tos
1. A tropical American evergreen shrub or small tree (Bixa orellana), having heart-shaped leaves and showy, rose-pink or sometimes white flowers.
2. The seed of this plant, used as a coloring and sometimes as a flavoring, especially in Latin American cuisine.
3. A yellowish-red dyestuff obtained from the arils of this plant's seeds, used especially to dye fabric and to color food products such as margarine and cheese. In all senses also called achiote.
[Of Cariban origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
annatto
(əˈnætəʊ) oranatto
n, pl -tos
Also called: annatta 1. (Plants) a small tropical American tree, Bixa orellana, having red or pinkish flowers and pulpy seeds that yield a dye: family Bixaceae
2. (Dyeing) the yellowish-red dye obtained from the pulpy outer layer of the coat of the seeds of this tree, used for colouring fabrics, butter, varnish, etc
[from Carib]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
an•nat•to
(əˈnæt oʊ, əˈnɑ toʊ)n., pl. -tos.
1. a small tree, Bixa orellana, of the family Bixaceae, of tropical America.
2. a yellowish red dye obtained from the pulp enclosing the seeds of this tree, used for coloring fabrics, butter, varnish, etc.
[1675–85; < Carib]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.