photochromic
|pho-to-chro-mic|
🇺🇸
/ˌfoʊtəˈkroʊmɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌfəʊtəˈkrɒmɪk/
change color with light
Etymology
'photochromic' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'photo-' from Greek 'phōs, phōt-' meaning 'light' and 'chrom-' from Greek 'chroma' meaning 'color', plus the adjectival suffix '-ic' (from Greek/Latin) meaning 'pertaining to'.
'photochromic' was formed in modern scientific English (19th–20th century) from the noun 'photochromism' (coined in chemistry/photochemistry) by adding the adjective-forming suffix '-ic'; 'photochromism' itself was created from 'photo-' + 'chromism'.
Initially the components referred simply to 'light' and 'color'; in modern technical usage the compound came to mean specifically 'color change caused by light' (usually reversible darkening in materials or lenses).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
of a material or substance: changing color, especially darkening, reversibly when exposed to light (typically ultraviolet or sunlight).
Photochromic lenses darken outdoors and become clear again indoors.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/13 02:25