carmin

Possibly from Medieval Latin *carminium, from Arabic قِرْمِز‎ (qirmiz, “crimson, kermes”) (from Sanskrit कृमिज (kṛmija, “produced by worms”), from कृमि (kṛ́mi, “worm, insect”)), plus or with influence from Latin minium.

Or, from a contraction of Old French carmesin, from Spanish carmesí.

• IPA^(key): /kaʁ.mɛ̃/

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carmin (invariable)

1. carmine, crimson (having a deep, slightly bluish red colour)

• (carmine, crimson): cramoisi

carmin m (plural carmins)

1. cochineal, carmine (red dye made from the bodies of cochineal insects)
2. carmine, crimson (deep, slightly bluish red)
3. Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae)

• (Cinnabar moth): goutte-de-sang

• “carmin” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).