chrom-

American  

1. a combining form meaning “color,” used in the formation of compound words.

   chromhydrosis.

2. Chemistry.

   1. a combining form used in the names of chemical compounds in which chromium is present.

   2. a combining form that, when prefixed to the name of a chemical compound, denotes its colored form.

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Usage

What does chrom- mean? Chrom- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “color.” In chemistry, chrom- specifically indicates a substance that contains chromium or a colored form of a substance. Chrom- comes from the Greek chrôma, meaning “color” and is the source of the words chroma and chrome, among many others. The chemical element chromium is so named for colorful compounds the metal can form. What are variants of chrom-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a consonant, chrom- becomes chromo-, as in chromosome. A corresponding form of chrom- combined to the end of words is -chrome, as in polychrome. Closely related to chrom- are the combining forms chromato- and chromat-.

Etymology

Origin of chrom-

The Greek word chrôma “color” ( chroma ) underlies chrom- def. 1; chrom- def. 2 is derived from chromium