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pleochroism

[ plee-ok-roh-iz-uhm ]
/ pliˈɒk roʊˌɪz əm /

noun

the property of certain crystals of exhibiting different colors when viewed from different directions under transmitted light.Compare dichroism (def. 1), trichroism.

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Origin of pleochroism

First recorded in 1855–60; pleochro(ic) + -ism

Words nearby pleochroism

plenum, plenum system, plenum ventilation, pleo-, pleochroic, pleochroism, pleocytosis, pleomastia, pleomorphic, pleomorphic lipoma, pleomorphism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pleochroism

British Dictionary definitions for pleochroism

pleochroism
/ (plɪˈɒkrəʊˌɪzəm) /

noun

a property of certain crystals of absorbing light to an extent that depends on the orientation of the electric vector of the light with respect to the optic axes of the crystal. The effect occurs in uniaxial crystals (dichroism) and esp in biaxial crystals (trichroism)

Derived forms of pleochroism

pleochroic (ˌpliːəˈkrəʊɪk), adjective

Word Origin for pleochroism

C19: pleo- + -chroism, from Greek khrōs skin colour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012