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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

The Black Badge specification features a dark-anodized grille and hood figurine in the place of chrome brightwork—younger, fresher, more nocturnal, but also nicely understated, which I like.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

I wanted to reinforce the frame, and add chrome suspension, a chrome engine bay—chrome everything.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

The droid doesn’t have a face, just that George Lucas-designed chrome head that looks like a drawing of a Borzoi from memory.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025

For “Paparazzi,” Gaga wore a chrome helmet and hobbled down a long runway using a pair of chrome crutches, the train of her dress billowing heroically behind her.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2025

Twenty' children were grouped in a circle round a chrome steel tower.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley