alizarin carmine

9.9

A red dye used to color wool and stain samples for study

noun
/əˈlɪzərɪn ˈkɑrmɪn/

Specialized

: carmín de alizarina

The wool was dyed a brilliant shade using alizarin carmine.

Examples

The artist used alizarin carmine to create vivid red hues.
Researchers stained the specimen with alizarin carmine to observe bone growth.
In the 19th century, alizarin carmine became popular for producing vibrant reds in fabrics.
You can find alizarin carmine in many dye shops.
In the 19th century, alizarin carmine became popular for producing vibrant reds in fabrics.
The wool was dyed a brilliant shade using alizarin carmine.
Researchers stained the specimen with alizarin carmine to observe bone growth.

Synonyms

alizarin red

vsalizarin carmine

Specialized

9.4

A bright red dye that colors wool and other fabrics

is one red acid dye obtained from that source rather than a group

Surface Forms

alizarin carmine singular

alizarin carmines plural

Morphology

alizarin + carmine

The noun-noun compound simply names a type of carmine produced from alizarin: knowing 'alizarin' (a substance used to make red pigments) and 'carmine' (a vivid red dye) lets a learner infer 'alizarin carmine' is a red dye derived from alizarin. This is a compositional, descriptive naming pattern (type-of + source) common across languages, so the meaning is transparently derivable from the parts even if the terms are somewhat technical.

Etymology

Alizarin carmine gets its name from two red sources: alizarin, a red substance first taken from the madder plant root, and carmine, a word for a deep red colour. That's why the dye is used to make wool a bright 'scarlet' or 'red' colour.