What does anatto mean?
Anatto is a variant spelling of annatto, the name of both a small tropical American tree (Bixa orellana) and the natural orange-red dye produced from the waxy coating around its seeds. Native to Central and South America and long used by indigenous peoples as body paint, fabric dye, and food coloring, the seed was carried by Spanish and Portuguese traders to Asia, Africa, and Europe after European contact. Today the coloring—known industrially as bixin or norbixin when extracted—is best recognized as the additive that gives Cheddar cheese, butter, margarine, and smoked fish their characteristic golden-orange tint, while ground seeds (often sold as achiote) remain central to Latin American and Filipino cuisines. Because it is a natural rather than synthetic colorant, it carries connotations of traditional foodways. In modern usage the standard spelling is annatto; anatto appears mainly in older texts.
nounA variant spelling of annatto: a tropical American tree whose reddish seeds yield a yellow-orange dye and food coloring, also used for the coloring substance itself.
- A tropical American tree (Bixa orellana) bearing seeds used as dye and food coloring
- The orange-yellow coloring matter obtained from those seeds
"The cheesemaker stirred in a little anatto to give the rind its warm golden hue."
"Colonial traders shipped anatto across the Atlantic to color cloth and cheese."
"In Yucatecan cooking, achiote paste made from the seeds gives cochinita pibil its vivid color."
Pluralized only when referring to multiple trees or multiple batches/portions of the coloring agent; often treated as an uncountable material noun.
"The plantation rows held hundreds of anattos heavy with spiny seed pods."
The seeds of this humble Caribbean tree are why Cheddar cheese is orange at all.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anatto
Anatto entered English in the early 17th century, borrowed from the Carib word for the plant and its seed, transmitted through Spanish or Portuguese accounts of the Americas. It has no classical Latin or Greek root, so its true relatives are other borrowings from indigenous Caribbean languages rather than European cognates. Over time the spelling settled on "annatto," leaving "anatto" as a recognized but now uncommon variant.
How anatto is actually used
The spelling "annatto" is far more common than "anatto" in modern English. The word is used chiefly in food science, trade, and historical contexts rather than everyday conversation.
Easily confused with anatto
Annatto is the standard spelling of the identical word, while anatto is simply a less common variant spelling with one 'n'.