| n. | 1. | (Zool.) The dried bodies of the females of a scale insect (Kermes ilices formerly Coccus ilicis), allied to the cochineal insect, and found on several species of oak near the Mediterranean; also, the dye obtained from them. They are round, about the size of a pea, contain coloring matter analogous to carmine, and are used in dyeing. They were anciently thought to be of a vegetable nature, and were used in medicine. | ||||||
| 2. | (Bot.) A small European evergreen oak (Quercus coccifera) on which the kermes insect (Kermes ilices, formerly Coccus ilicis) feeds. | |||||||
| 3. | (Zool.) A genus of scale insects including many species that feed on oaks. The adult female resembles a small gall.
| |||||||