chromato-

American  

1. a combining form meaning “color,” used in the formation of compound words in this sense and in the specialized sense of “chromatin”.

   chromatophore; chromatolysis.

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chromato- British  

combining form

1. indicating colour or coloured

   chromatophore

2. indicating chromatin

   chromatolysis

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Usage

What does chromato- mean? Chromato- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “color.” It is used in many scientific and medical terms. In cell biology, chromato- specifically refers to chromatin, "the readily stainable substance of a cell nucleus, consisting of DNA, RNA, and various proteins, that forms chromosomes during cell division."Chromato- comes from the Greek chrôma, meaning “color” and is source of the words chroma and chrome, among many others. The chemical element chromium is so named for the colorful compounds the metal can form.What are variants of chromato-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, chromato- becomes chromat-, as in chromaturia.Closely related to chromato- are the combining forms chromo-, chrom-, and -chrome.

Etymology

Origin of chromato-

< Greek chromat-, stem of chrôma color + -o-