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chrome

1 of 3

noun

1
a
b
: a chromium pigment
2
: something plated with an alloy of chromium

chrome

2 of 3

verb

chromed; chroming

transitive verb

1
: to treat with a compound of chromium (as in dyeing)
2

-chrome

3 of 3

noun combining form or adjective combining form

ˌkrōm
1
: colored thing
heliochrome
2
: coloring matter
urochrome

Examples of chrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Polish Chrome Fixtures Toothpaste makes quick work if chrome fixtures need a polish. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025 Upgrade a dedicated plant parent’s watering routine with a touch of chrome. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 5 Dec. 2025 Each started as a clay model before being enlarged and cast in bronze, then coated in chrome. Nick Remsen, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025 During the webinar, Sassone pointed to design elements such as the trapezoidal exterior, a Z shape on the superstructure, and chrome railing that distinguish the 128 but also root it in the Custom Line family. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chrome

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French chrôme, borrowed from Greek chrôma "color" — more at -chrome

Note: Name introduced by the French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin (1763-1829) in "Du plomb rouge de Sibérie, et expériences sur le nouveau métal qu'il contient," Journal des mines, Messidor, An V [vol. 6, June-July, 1797], pp. 737-60. Vauquelin notes that a word meaning "color"—originally suggested to him by the mineralogist René-Just Haüy—is fitting for the metal not because it has a distinctive color itself, but because the combinations into which it enters with oxygen (as a green oxide and red acid) are remarkable for their colors.

Verb

derivative of chrome entry 1

Noun combining form or adjective combining form

borrowed from Greek -chrōmos "having a color (of the kind specified by the initial element)," adjective derivative of chrōmat-, chrôma "skin, complexion, color," from chrō- (the base of an s-stem *chrowos-, whence chrṓs "surface of the body, skin, flesh, complexion, color," of obscure origin) + -ma, resultative noun suffix

Note: The form *chrowos- is reconstructed on the basis of Mycenaean a-ko-ro-we-e "without spots" (or "of one color"). While chrṓs can be contracted directly from a nominative *chrowṓs, the Homeric accusative chróa, genitive chroós assume *chrowós-a, *chrowos-ós, with hyphaeresis of the second vowel of the stem.

First Known Use

Noun

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chrome was in 1800

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chrome. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

chrome

noun
ˈkrōm
1
a
b
: a chromium pigment
2
: something plated with an alloy of chromium

Medical Definition

chrome

noun
1
2
: a chromium pigment

More from Merriam-Webster on chrome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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