1
: a substance that imparts black or white or a color to other materials
especially
: a powdered substance that is mixed with a liquid in which it is relatively insoluble and used especially to impart color to coating materials (such as paints) or to inks, plastics, and rubber
2
: a coloring matter in animals and plants especially in a cell or tissue
also
: any of various related colorless substances
Examples of pigment in a Sentence
Noun
Chlorophyll is a group of green pigments.
Melanin is a pigment that gives color to skin and fur.
Albinos lack normal skin pigment.
Pigments are used to give color to paint, ink, and plastic.
Red pigment is mixed into the ink.
Verb
pigmented varnishes
Recent Examples on the Web
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Purple Potatoes Purple potatoes are high in pigments called anthocyanins, which give them their color and health benefits.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 23 Oct. 2025
Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025
Fun and festive, Tower28’s kit is sensitive-skin friendly, stunning pigmented, and perfect for the holidays.
—Brittany Leitner, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigment
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Noun
The material is man-made from crushed quartz crystals combined with binders like resin and pigments for color.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Purple Potatoes Purple potatoes are high in pigments called anthocyanins, which give them their color and health benefits.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Maple leaves, for instance, get their vivid reds and deep purples from anthocyanins, pigments that form when sugars accumulate after growth stops in fall.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025
Fun and festive, Tower28’s kit is sensitive-skin friendly, stunning pigmented, and perfect for the holidays.
—Brittany Leitner, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigment
Cite this Entry
“Pigment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pigment. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pigment
noun
pig·ment
ˈpig-mənt 
: a coloring matter in animals and plants especially in a cell or tissue
also
: any of various related colorless substances
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