tetrachromat

T1E1T1R1A1C3H4R1O1M3A1T1

noun

One who is capable of identifying four primary colors; one whose vision exhibits tetrachromacy.

OriginEnglish chromatic ← Ancient Greek τετρᾰ- (tetră-) ← Proto-Hellenic *kʷétwores →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

nountetrachromat (plural tetrachromats)

plural tetrachromats

  1. One who is capable of identifying four primary colors; one whose vision exhibits tetrachromacy.

    Blood on the berries―red on red―but to you, a tetrachromat, the two reds are distinctive.

    2022, Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Vintage (2023), page 340

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwóres
  2. Proto-Hellenic*kʷétwores
  3. Ancient Greekτέσσᾰρες (téssăres)
  4. Ancient Greekτετρᾰ- (tetră-)
  5. Englishtetra-
  6. Englishchromatic
  7. Englishtetrachromat

From tetra- + chromatic.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tetrachromat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetrachromat

MLA

“tetrachromat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetrachromat. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tetrachromat,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tetrachromat.

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