colorant

[kuhl-er-uhnt]

noun

1. something used as a coloring matter; pigment; dye.

colorant

/ ˈkʌlərənt /

noun

1. any substance that imparts colour, such as a pigment, dye, or ink; colouring matter

Word History and Origins

Origin of colorant¹

1880–85; < French, present participle of colorer < Latin colōrāre to color. See color, -ant

Example Sentences

It joins galdieria extract blue, a blue colorant made from a unicellular species of red algae called Galdieria sulphuraria; calcium phosphate, a white powder; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color that can be used to create various shades of blues, purples and greens.

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Butterfly pea flower extract is derived from a clitoria ternatea plant, often used as a natural food colorant, according to the NIH.

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The latest initiative comes more than three decades after the colorant was barred from cosmetics and non-oral medications due to potentially causing cancer.

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The ultra-thin colorant is around two microns thick, and although less reflective, it's visibly blue and reflects UV well, possibly paving the way for new colorant methods.

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"It shows that nature has evolved to use a really neat trick, an ultrathin layer for an important colorant," added Rox.

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Related Words

• glow 
• hue 
• intensity 
• paint