Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe readily stainable substance of a cell nucleus consisting of DNA and RNA and various proteins; during mitotic division it condenses into chromosomes
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekχρῶμα“colour”
- GermanChromatin
- Englishchromatin
Borrowed from German Chromatin, from (combining form of) Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour”) + -ινος (-inos, “made of”). Analyzable as chromatic (“of colour”) + -in (“substance”).
More words from German, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan cromatina
- cromatinacomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Chinese Mandarin 染色質 /染色质, 核染質 /核染质
- 染色質 /染色质 (rǎnsèzhì)complex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
- 核染質 /核染质 (hérǎnzhì)complex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
French chromatine
- chromatinecomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
German Chromatin
- Chromatincomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Italian cromatina
- cromatinacomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Japanese クロマチン, 染色質
- クロマチン (kuromachin)complex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
- 染色質 (senshokushitsu)complex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Malay kromatin
- kromatincomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Portuguese cromatina
- cromatinacomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Spanish cromatina
- cromatinacomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Swedish kromatin
- kromatincomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Tagalog kulayin, kromatina
- kulayincomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
- kromatinacomplex of DNA, RNA, and proteins
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
chromatin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chromatin
“chromatin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chromatin. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chromatin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chromatin.
Source: chromatin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.