Also 7–9 arnotto, 8 annotta, 8–9 arnatto, anotta, annotto, annatto. [? a. native American name.] An orange-red dye, procured in Central America from the waxy pulp surrounding the seeds of the Bixa orellana; used in dyeing, and for coloring cheese.
a. 1682. Sir W. Petty, in Sprat, Hist. R. Soc., 299 (T.). Arnotto dyeth of itself an orange-colour.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 226. Otta or Anatta, is a red sort of Dye.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Annotto, in commerce, a kind of red dye, brought from the West Indies.
1784. J. Twamley, Dairying Exempl., 64. Spanish-Annatto … is much the best for Cheese-colouring.
1791. Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, I. Introd. 20. Substances … useful in dyeing … anotta, logwood. Ibid., II. 130. Annotta.
1795. W. Guthrie, Geog., 957 (T.). Arnatto is mixed up by the Spanish Americans with their chocolate.
1850. Hawthorne, Scarlet Lett. (1851), 25. Pepper-bags, and baskets of anatto.
1852. T. Ross, trans. Humboldt’s Trav., I. ix. 308. His skin besmeared with annatto.
1863. H. Bates, Nat. on Amazons, vi. 138. The red [tints are made] with the seeds of the Urucú, or Anatto plant.
1866. Treas. Bot., Anotta or Arnotto.
1870. Yeats, Nat. Hist. Comm., 212. Good arnotto is of the colour of fire.
