From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Carmine \Car"mine\, n. [F. carmin (cf. Sp. carmin, It.
carminio), contr. from LL. carmesinus purple color. See
Crimson.]
1. A rich red or crimson color with a shade of purple.
[1913 Webster]
2. A beautiful pigment, or a lake, of this color, prepared
from cochineal, and used in miniature painting.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Chem.) The essential coloring principle of cochineal,
extracted as a purple-red amorphous mass. It is a
glucoside and possesses acid properties; -- hence called
also carminic acid.
[1913 Webster]
Carmine red (Chem.), a coloring matter obtained from
carmine as a purple-red substance, and probably allied to
the phthale["i]ns.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
carmine
adj 1: of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to
orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or
tomatoes or rubies [syn: red, reddish, ruddy,
blood-red, carmine, cerise, cherry, cherry-red,
crimson, ruby, ruby-red, scarlet]
n 1: a variable color averaging a vivid red [syn: cardinal,
carmine]
v 1: color carmine