amaranth vs cochineal

amaranth

noun
  • A red to purple azo dye used as a biological stain, and in some countries in cosmetics and as a food colouring. 

  • Any of various herbs of the genus Amaranthus. 

  • The characteristic purplish-red colour of the flowers or leaves of these plants. 

  • The seed of these plants, used as a cereal. 

cochineal

noun
  • The vivid red color of this dye. 

  • A vivid red dye made from the bodies of cochineal insects. 

  • A species of insect (Dactylopius coccus). 

  • cochineal 

adj
  • Possessing a vivid red color, as produced from dying with cochineal. 

How often have the words amaranth and cochineal occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )