annatto: Meaning and Definition of

an•nat•to

Pronunciation: (u-nat'ō, u-nä'tō), [key]
— pl. -tos.
  1. a small tree, Bixa orellana, of tropical America.
  2. a yellowish-red dye obtained from the pulp enclosing the seeds of this tree, used for coloring fabrics, butter, varnish, etc.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.