pleochroism

noun

ple·​och·​ro·​ism plē-ˈä-krə-ˌwi-zəm 

: the property of a crystal of showing different colors when viewed by light polarized in different directions

pleochroic

ˌplē-ə-ˈkrō-ik 

adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Pleochroismus, from pleo- pleo- + -chroismus, in Dichroismus dichroism

Note: The term was apparently introduced by the German mineralogist Wilhelm Haidinger (1795-1871); see "Ueber den Pleochroismus der Krystalle," Annalen der Physik und Chemie, Band 65, no. 5 (1845), pp. 1-29.

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

pleochroism

noun

ple·​och·​ro·​ism plē-ˈäk-rə-ˌwiz-əm 

: the property of a crystal of showing different colors when viewed by light that vibrates parallel to different axes

pleochroic

ˌplē-ə-ˈkrō-ik 

adjective