Standard Lemma guide

tetrachromacy

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌtɛtɹəˈkɹoʊməsi/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of having four independent channels for conveying color information in the eye.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kwetwóres Proto-Hellenic *kwétwores Ancient Greek τέσσᾰρες (téssăres) Ancient Greek τετρᾰ- (tetră-)bor. English tetra- Proto-Hellenic *khrṓwmə Ancient Greek χρῶμᾰ (khrômă) English chromo- English -acy English tetrachromacy From tetra- + chromo- + -acy.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Estonian: tetrakromaasia — having four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • Estonian: neljavärvinägemine — having four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • Finnish: tetrakromaattinen värinäkö — having four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • Finnish: nelivärinäkö — having four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • French: tétrachromatie — having four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • French: tétrachromatisme — having four independent channels for conveying color in the eye