pigment
Americannoun
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a dry insoluble substance, usually pulverized, which when suspended in a liquid vehicle becomes a paint, ink, etc.
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a coloring matter or substance.
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Biology. any substance whose presence in the tissues or cells of animals or plants colors them.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a substance occurring in plant or animal tissue and producing a characteristic colour, such as chlorophyll in green plants and haemoglobin in red blood
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any substance used to impart colour
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a powder that is mixed with a liquid to give a paint, ink, etc
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An organic compound that gives a characteristic color to plant or animal tissues and is involved in vital processes. Chlorophyll, which gives a green color to plants, and hemoglobin, which gives blood its red color, are examples of pigments.
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A substance or material used as coloring.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pigment
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin pigmentum paint, equivalent to pig- (stem of pingere to paint ) + -mentum -ment
Explanation
Something's color is its pigment. Technically, all living things have a natural pigment — leaves have a green pigment for example — but the word is more generally applied to human skin color. The other, more technical, use of pigment refers to the substance, usually a powder, that is added to a liquid to give it its color. For example, ultramarine paint is made from a crushed blue silicate that mixed with oil produces a brilliant blue tone. Other pigments were achieved in less pleasant ways. The bright yellow of many Indian paintings? Cow's urine. The red of medieval ox-blood walls? You guessed it.
Vocabulary lists containing pigment
Stroke of Genius: Words About Painting
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Unit 2: Evolution
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for January 30–February 5, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Crucially, the artist did more than simply spray pigment around a hand pressed to the wall, the researchers say.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026
"Understanding stress-responsive biosynthesis in extremophilic cyanobacteria may accelerate industrial biotechnology for natural pigment and antioxidant production," says Prof. Kageyama when describing the motivation behind the work.
From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026
Its provenance was certified through methods including X-ray imaging and pigment analysis, he added.
From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025
Silicone-based materials came into play for his face, soldiers, chest, back and right arm, since the material is clear and can be dyed to match the pigment of the creature’s skin.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2025
He attributed his condition to poisoning from an arsenic-based pigment called Turkey Red in the wallpaper of his Brookline home.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
