Definition

A characteristic of certain crystals that display different colors when viewed from different angles or with polarized light.

Example

The pleochroism of the gemstone made it appear to change color as I turned it in the light.

Conversation

Did you know some crystals can show different colors when you look at them from different angles?

Really? That's interesting! What's that called?

It's called pleochroism, and it's pretty fascinating to see in person.

I have to check that out; it sounds like a cool property of crystals!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Pleochroism → It is formed from "pleo-" (from Greek "pleion", meaning more) and "chroa" (from Greek "chroa", meaning color). The word describes the phenomenon where a substance shows different colors when viewed from different angles, indicating it has more than one color.

Memory Tip

Think of 'more' ('pleo-') colors appearing from different angles — that's what pleochroism means.

Visually Confused Words