pigment
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a dry powder that is mixed with oil or water to make paint.
n.a dry colorant, typically an insoluble powder, which is mixed with a liquid vehicle to create paint or ink.
Simple“The artist mixed the blue pigment with oil to create a deep ocean color.”
In context“Historically, rare pigments like ultramarine were more expensive than gold because they had to be ground from semi-precious stones.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to add color to something.
v.to color or dye a substance or surface by adding pigment.
Simple“The skin is naturally pigmented to protect it from the sun.”
In context“The manufacturing process involves a stage where the plastic is heavily pigmented before being molded into the final product.”
“Not only must they match colors under both visible and UV light, but the pigments will also change subtly over time.”
“They discovered that its famous golden shine comes from tiny protein structures that reflect light rather than from pigments or dyes.”
From Middle English pigment, from Latin pigmentum (“pigment”), itself from pingō (“to paint”) + -mentum; variants of this word may have been known in Old English (e.g. 12th century pyhmentum). Doublet of pimiento, pimento, and piment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.