pigment

Definition

Any color in plant or animal cells.

Etymology

From Middle English pigment, from Latin pigmentum (“pigment”), itself from pingō (“I paint”) + -mentum; variants of this word may have been known in Old English (e.g. 12th century pyhmentum). Doublet of pimiento, pimento, and piment.

Example Sentences

• "Chlorophyll is the pigment responsible for most plants' green colouring."
• "Umber is a pigment made from clay containing iron and manganese oxide."
• "Oswald, broach the oldest wine-cask; place the best mead, the richest morat, the most sparkling cyder, the most odoriferous pigment, upon the board; […]"