chromatophore

[ kruh-mat-uh-fawr, -fohr, kroh-muh-tuh‐ ]

noun
  1. Zoology. a cell containing pigment, especially one that through contraction and expansion produces a temporary color, as in cuttlefishes.

  2. Botany. one of the colored plastids in plant cells.

Origin of chromatophore

1
First recorded in 1860–65; chromato- + -phore

Other words from chromatophore

  • chro·mat·o·phor·ic [kruh-mat-uh-fawr-ik, ‐for-ik, kroh-muh-tuh‐], /krəˌmæt əˈfɔr ɪk, ‐ˈfɒr ɪk, ˈkroʊ mə tə‐/, chro·ma·toph·or·ous [kroh-muh-tof-er-uhs], /ˌkroʊ məˈtɒf ər əs/, adjective

Words Nearby chromatophore

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use chromatophore in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chromatophore

chromatophore

/ (ˈkrəʊmətəˌfɔː) /


noun
  1. a cell in the skin of frogs, chameleons, etc, in which pigment is concentrated or dispersed, causing the animal to change colour

  2. another name for chromoplast

Derived forms of chromatophore

  • chromatophoric or chromatophorous (ˌkrəʊməˈtɒfərəs), adjective

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