chromatophore Hear it!

chromatophore definition

chro·mato·phore (krō mat′ə fôr′, krō′mə tə fôr′)

noun

  1. a special animal cell, usually dermal, that contains pigment granules: it is often capable of expansion and contraction in such a manner that the skin color changes, as in the chameleon
  2. a plastid containing chlorophyll or other pigments

Etymology: chromato- + -phore

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.