chrome

1 of 3

noun

1
a
b
: a chromium pigment
2
: something plated with an alloy of chromium

chrome

2 of 3

verb

chromed; chroming

transitive verb

1
: to treat with a compound of chromium (as in dyeing)
2

-chrome

3 of 3

noun combining form or adjective combining form

ˌkrōm
1
: colored thing
heliochrome
2
: coloring matter
urochrome

Examples of chrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Over the summer, Megan Fox and manicurist Brittney Boyce debuted a silver chrome set decorated with gems that looked like the coolest vintage costume jewelry, and prior to that, actor Kat Dennings flexed her DIY skills with stick-on jewels all over her nails. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 22 Dec. 2025 Characterized by barely-there nudes with a subtle hint of chrome or shimmer, soft metallics have the squeaky-clean, spa-fresh appeal of soap nails with a fairytale twist. Rachel Krause, Vogue, 22 Dec. 2025 The new design, according to Manku, takes inspiration from the Japanese onsen, with double vanity sinks and a separate, marble and chrome-covered wet room housing a deep bathtub and rain shower. Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025 The truck, which was designed by West Coast Customs, featured chrome flames, a customized grill, and all-leather interiors. Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chrome

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French chrôme, borrowed from Greek chrôma "color" — more at -chrome

Note: Name introduced by the French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin (1763-1829) in "Du plomb rouge de Sibérie, et expériences sur le nouveau métal qu'il contient," Journal des mines, Messidor, An V [vol. 6, June-July, 1797], pp. 737-60. Vauquelin notes that a word meaning "color"—originally suggested to him by the mineralogist René-Just Haüy—is fitting for the metal not because it has a distinctive color itself, but because the combinations into which it enters with oxygen (as a green oxide and red acid) are remarkable for their colors.

Verb

derivative of chrome entry 1

Noun combining form or adjective combining form

borrowed from Greek -chrōmos "having a color (of the kind specified by the initial element)," adjective derivative of chrōmat-, chrôma "skin, complexion, color," from chrō- (the base of an s-stem *chrowos-, whence chrṓs "surface of the body, skin, flesh, complexion, color," of obscure origin) + -ma, resultative noun suffix

Note: The form *chrowos- is reconstructed on the basis of Mycenaean a-ko-ro-we-e "without spots" (or "of one color"). While chrṓs can be contracted directly from a nominative *chrowṓs, the Homeric accusative chróa, genitive chroós assume *chrowós-a, *chrowos-ós, with hyphaeresis of the second vowel of the stem.

First Known Use

Noun

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chrome was in 1800

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chrome. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

chrome

noun
ˈkrōm
1
a
b
: a chromium pigment
2
: something plated with an alloy of chromium

Medical Definition

chrome

noun
1
2
: a chromium pigment

More from Merriam-Webster on chrome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!