pigments
n. countablen. the natural substances that give color to things like paint, ink, or even your skin and hair. They are usually powders that are mixed with liquid to create a specific shade.
n. substances that impart color to other materials through selective light absorption. Often refers to insoluble powders mixed with a binder in artistic or industrial contexts, or biological molecules that determine the color of plant and animal tissues.
Artists use natural pigments to make their own oil paints.
The bright red and yellow pigments in autumn leaves become visible only after the green chlorophyll breaks down.
Restorers analyzed the chemical composition of the pigments to determine if the blue used in the sky was genuine ultramarine or a cheaper synthetic alternative.
Commonly used in the plural when referring to a range of colors or the general category of coloring agents.