chromophore

noun

chro·​mo·​phore ˈkrō-mə-ˌfȯr How to pronounce chromophore (audio)
: a chemical group (such as an azo group) that absorbs light at a specific frequency and so imparts color to a molecule
also : a colored chemical compound
chromophoric adjective

Examples of chromophore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Through a complicated biochemical process, the chromophore is added on to the protein, generating light. Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2011 Scientists called it fluorescent rather than bioluminescent because a chromophore was never needed to produce the light. Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2011 With far infrared instruments on JWST, teams at University of Leicester in the United Kingdom are hoping to locate such chromophores in the red spot. Shannon Stirone, WIRED, 30 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

chromo- + -phore

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chromophore was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near chromophore

Cite this Entry

“Chromophore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chromophore. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

chromophore

noun
chro·​mo·​phore ˈkrō-mə-ˌfō(ə)r, -ˌfȯ(ə)r How to pronounce chromophore (audio)
: a chemical group (as an azo group) that absorbs light at a specific frequency and so imparts color to a molecule
also : a colored chemical compound
chromophoric adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on chromophore

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!