achromatic

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀχρωμάτιστος (akhrōmátistos, “uncolored”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”), equivalent to a- +‎ chromatic; compare French achromatique.

Pronunciation

• (US, UK) IPA^(key): /ˌæk.ɹəˈmæt.ɪk/, /ˌeɪ.kɹəˈmæt.ɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

achromatic (comparative more achromatic, superlative most achromatic)

1. (optics) Free from color; transmitting light without color-related distortion.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:achromatic

3. Containing components such as achromatic lenses and prisms, designed to prevent color-related distortion.
4. (biology, of tissue) Uncolored; not absorbing color from a fluid.
5. (music) Having only the diatonic notes of the scale; not modified by accidentals.
6. Being achromatic in subject.

   The lecture was achromatic; the speaker used politics to suppress the weight of his/her subject.

Derived terms

• achromatically
• nonachromatic
• pseudoachromatic

 

Related terms

• achromaticity
• achromatic lens
• achromatic number
• achromatic prism
• achromatism
• chromatic

 

Translations

optics: free from colour

• Armenian: անգույն (hy) (anguyn)
• Bulgarian: безцветен (bg) (bezcveten), неоцветен (neocveten)
• Catalan: acromàtic (ca) m
• Chinese: 消色差的
• Esperanto: akromata
• Finnish: akromaattinen (fi)
• Hungarian: akromatikus (hu)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} acromatico
• Manx: neughaaoil
• Persian: بی‌فام (bi-fâm)
• Polish: achromatyczny (pl)
• Portuguese: acromático (pt)
• Spanish: acromático (es)
• Tagalog: awankulayin

containing components to prevent colour-related distortion

• Catalan: acromàtic (ca) m
• Chinese: 消色差的
• Finnish: värikorjattu
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} acromatico
• Portuguese: acromático (pt)
• Spanish: acromático (es)

biology: uncoloured

• Bulgarian: неоцветен (neocveten)
• Catalan: acromàtic (ca) m
• Chinese: 非染色性的
• Finnish: akromaattinen (fi)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} acromatico
• Spanish: acromático (es)

music: having only the diatonic notes of the scale

• Bulgarian: диатоничен (diatoničen)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} acromatico
• Portuguese: acromático (pt)

being achromatic in subject

• Italian: ^{(please verify)} acromatico