tetrapyrrole

T1E1T1R1A1P3Y4R1R1O1L1E1

noun

any of several natural pigments having a structure of four pyrrole rings connected by a one-carbon unit

OriginEnglish pyrrole ← German Pyrro ← Ancient Greek πῠρρός (pŭrrhós) →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nountetrapyrrole (plural tetrapyrroles)

plural tetrapyrroles

  1. biochemistryany of several natural pigments having a structure of four pyrrole rings connected by a one-carbon unit

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kʷetwóres
  2. Proto-Hellenic*kʷétwores
  3. Ancient Greekτέσσᾰρες (téssăres)
  4. Ancient Greekτετρᾰ- (tetră-)
  5. Englishtetra-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*péh₂wr̥
  7. Proto-Hellenic*pāwər
  8. Ancient Greekπῦρ (pûr)
  9. Ancient Greekπῠρρός (pŭrrhós)
  10. GermanPyrro
  11. Englishpyrrole
  12. Englishtetrapyrrole

From tetra- + pyrrole.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Italian tetrapirrolo
  • tetrapirroloany of several natural pigments with four pyrrole rings
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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