[Corruption of It. pezzetta, dim. of pezza a PIECE of cloth; defined in Tommaseo’s Dict. as ‘piece of cloth, usually of cotton, which when rubbed gives a red stain, and is used for rouging.’] ‘A dye or pigment prepared by dipping linen rags in solutions of certain colouring matters’ Watts, Dict. Chem., I. 583.
1863. Watts, Dict. Chem., I. 583. Red bezetta is coloured with cochineal, and is used as a cosmetic. Ibid. Blue bezetta … chiefly used for colouring the rind of Dutch cheeses.
