chromogen

noun

chro·​mo·​gen ˈkrō-mə-jən 

1

: a precursor of a biochemical pigment

2

: a pigment-producing microorganism

Examples of chromogen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Whitening agents, which tend to be bleaching chemicals like carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, break up the chromogen so that it can be easily washed away. —Sarah Jacob, SELF, 13 Aug. 2021

Word History

Etymology

chromo- + -gen

Note: Term introduced by the Scottish chemist Thomas Charles Hope (1766-1844) in "Observations and Experiments on the Coloured and Colourable Matters in the Leaves and Flowers of Plants," a communication read on March 21, 1836, to the Royal Society of Edinburgh and published in the Society's Transactions, vol. 1, no. 6 (1836), pp. 126-28.

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

chromogen

noun

chro·​mo·​gen ˈkrō-mə-jən 

1

a

: a precursor of a biochemical pigment

b

: a compound not itself a dye but containing a chromophore and so capable of becoming one

2

: a pigment-producing microorganism

many bacteria are chromogens

chromogenic

ˌkrō-mə-ˈjen-ik 

adjective