Definition of "cochineal insect" []

• Any of several red scale insects of the family Dactylopiidae that feed on cacti, especially the prickly pear, and range from the southwest United States to Central America. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.