chromophore
noun
chro·mo·phore
ˈkrō-mə-ˌfȯr 
: a chemical group (such as an azo group) that absorbs light at a specific frequency and so imparts color to a molecule
also
: a colored chemical compound
Examples of chromophore in a Sentence
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Through a complicated biochemical process, the chromophore is added on to the protein, generating light.
—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2011
Scientists called it fluorescent rather than bioluminescent because a chromophore was never needed to produce the light.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2011
With far infrared instruments on JWST, teams at University of Leicester in the United Kingdom are hoping to locate such chromophores in the red spot.
—Shannon Stirone, WIRED, 30 June 2018
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Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2011
Scientists called it fluorescent rather than bioluminescent because a chromophore was never needed to produce the light.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2011
With far infrared instruments on JWST, teams at University of Leicester in the United Kingdom are hoping to locate such chromophores in the red spot.
—Shannon Stirone, WIRED, 30 June 2018
Cite this Entry
“Chromophore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chromophore. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
chromophore
noun
chro·mo·phore
ˈkrō-mə-ˌfō(ə)r, -ˌfȯ(ə)r
: a chemical group (as an azo group) that absorbs light at a specific frequency and so imparts color to a molecule
also
: a colored chemical compound
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