tetrachromacy

T1E1T1R1A1C3H4R1O1M3A1C3Y4
/ˌtɛtɹəˈkɹoʊməsi/

noun

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

OriginEnglish chromo- ← Ancient Greek χρῶμᾰ (khrômă) ← Proto-Hellenic *kʰrṓwmə →
Scrabble 25
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Meanings

nountetrachromacy (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe quality of having four independent channels for conveying color information in the eye.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwóres
  2. Proto-Hellenic*kʷétwores
  3. Ancient Greekτέσσᾰρες (téssăres)
  4. Ancient Greekτετρᾰ- (tetră-)
  5. Englishtetra-
  6. Proto-Hellenic*kʰrṓwmə
  7. Ancient Greekχρῶμᾰ (khrômă)
  8. Englishchromo-
  9. Englishtetrachromacy

From tetra- + chromo- + -acy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Estonian tetrakromaasia, neljavärvinägemine
  • tetrakromaasiahaving four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • neljavärvinägeminehaving four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
Finnish tetrakromaattinen värinäkö, nelivärinäkö
  • tetrakromaattinen värinäköhaving four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • nelivärinäköhaving four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
French tétrachromatie, tétrachromatisme
  • tétrachromatiehaving four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
  • tétrachromatismehaving four independent channels for conveying color in the eye
Cite this entry
APA

tetrachromacy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetrachromacy

MLA

“tetrachromacy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetrachromacy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tetrachromacy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetrachromacy.

Source: tetrachromacy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.