chrome

¹ American  

[krohm] / kroʊm /

noun

1. chromium.

2. chromium-plated or other bright metallic trim, as on an automobile.

3. (of dyeing) the dichromate of potassium or sodium.

4. Photography. a positive color transparency; kodachrome.

---

verb (used with object)

chromed, chroming

1. (of dyeing) to subject to a bath of dichromate of potassium or sodium.

2. to plate (metal) with a compound of chromium.

3. to treat or tan (a hide or leather) with a chromium compound.

-chrome ² American  

1. variant of chrom- as the final element of a compound word.

   polychrome.

---

chrome ¹ British  

/ krəʊm /

noun

1. 1. another word for chromium, esp when present in a pigment or dye

   2. ( as modifier )

      a chrome dye

2. anything plated with chromium, such as fittings on a car body

3. a pigment or dye that contains chromium

---

verb

1. to plate or be plated with chromium, usually by electroplating

2. to treat or be treated with a chromium compound, as in dyeing or tanning

-chrome ² British  

combining form

1. colour, coloured, or pigment

   monochrome

---

Usage

What does -chrome mean? The combining form -chrome is used like a suffix to mean “color.” It is used in many medical and scientific terms, especially in biology and chemistry. The form -chrome 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. The form -chrome is a variant of chrom- used at the end of words or word elements. Chromo- is another variant of chrom-. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use chrom- article.  Closely related to -chrome are the combining forms chromato- and chromat-.

Other Word Forms

• multichrome noun
• unchromed adjective

Etymology

Origin of chrome

1790–1800; < French < Greek chrôma color; chrome ( in defs. 1, 2, 6, 7 ) shortened form of chromium

Explanation

Chrome is a very shiny layer of metallic coating that's applied to a metal surface. When you clean your bathroom, you might polish the chrome faucet until it gleams. Some cars have chrome details, like a chrome bumper or chrome wheels, and kitchen and bathroom fixtures can be made of chrome as well. Rather than being one type of solid metal, things made of chrome are generally coated with chromium plate as a protective or decorative layer. The word chrome comes from the element chromium, which is rooted in the Greek khroma, "color."

Example Sentences

But should it become necessary to defend the honor of the Empire, a chrome button on the steering wheel activates Infinity Mode.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

I also had one of those groovy chrome arched floor lamps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

Hexavalent chromium, commonly known as chrome, is best known for providing shiny, rust-resistant coating to auto parts, aviation components and tools.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025

And while there’s also a lot of personality emanating from the chrome hearts, no one onstage is trying to reinterpret the songs from outside their known, established frameworks.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025

Looming directly ahead of us was the planet IOI-1, a massive chrome globe.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline