Chromatic
(Chro*mat"ic) a. [L. chromaticus, Gr. suited for color, fr. color; akin to color, skin, color of
the skin.]
1. Relating to color, or to colors.
2. (Mus.) Proceeding by the smaller intervals (half steps or semitones) of the scale, instead of the
regular intervals of the diatonic scale.
The intermediate tones were formerly written and printed in colors.
Chromatic aberration.
(Opt.) See Aberration, 4. — Chromatic printing, printing from type or
blocks covered with inks of various colors. — Chromatic scale (Mus.), the scale consisting of thirteen
tones, including the eight scale tones and the five intermediate tones.
Chromatical
(Chro*mat"ic*al) a. Chromatic. [Obs.]
Chromatically
(Chro*mat"ic*al*ly), adv. In a chromatic manner.
Chromatics
(Chro*mat"ics) n. The science of colors; that part of optics which treats of the properties of
colors.
Chromatin
(Chro"ma*tin) n. [Gr. color.] (Biol.) Tissue which is capable of being stained by dyes.
Chromatism
(Chro"ma*tism) n. [Gr. a coloring.]
1. (Optics) The state of being colored, as in the case of images formed by a lens.
2. (Bot.) An abnormal coloring of plants.
Chromatogenous
(Chro`ma*tog"e*nous) a. [Gr. color + -genous.] Producing color.
Chromatography
(Chro`ma*tog"ra*phy) n. [Gr. color + -graphy.] A treatise on colors
Chromatology
(Chro`ma*tol"o*gy) n. [Gr. color + -logy.] A treatise on colors.
Chromatophore
(Chro"ma*to*phore`) n. [Gr. color + to bear.]
1. (Zoöl.) A contractile cell or vesicle containing liquid pigment and capable of changing its form or size,
thus causing changes of color in the translucent skin of such animals as possess them. They are highly
developed and numerous in the cephalopods.
2. (Bot.) One of the granules of protoplasm, which in mass give color to the part of the plant containing
them.
Chromatoscope
(Chro"ma*to*scope`) n. [Gr. color + -scope.] (Astron.) A reflecting telescope, part of
which is made to rotate eccentrically, so as to produce a ringlike image of a star, instead of a point; —
used in studying the scintillation of the stars.
Chromatosphere
(Chro"ma*to*sphere`) n. A chromosphere. [R.]
Chromatrope
(Chro"ma*trope) n. [Gr. color + turn, rotation, to turn.]
1. (Physics) An instrument for exhibiting certain chromatic effects of light (depending upon the persistence
of vision and mixture of colors) by means of rapidly rotating disks variously colored.
2. A device in a magic lantern or stereopticon to produce kaleidoscopic effects.