What does chlorophyl mean?
Chlorophyl — more commonly spelled "chlorophyll" — is the green pigment found in the cells of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. It sits inside structures called chloroplasts, where it absorbs light energy, chiefly from the red and blue parts of the spectrum, and uses it to power photosynthesis: the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into sugars and oxygen. Because chlorophyll reflects green light rather than absorbing it, leaves appear green to our eyes, and its seasonal breakdown is what exposes the yellows and oranges of autumn foliage. The word derives from Greek roots meaning "pale green" (chloros) and "leaf" (phyllon). It appears most often in biology, botany, agriculture, and environmental science, where measurements such as "chlorophyll content" serve as indicators of plant health. Though essentially a technical term, it is widely understood thanks to school science lessons, making it one of the few biochemical terms familiar to the general public.
noun"Chlorophyl" is a variant spelling of "chlorophyll", the green pigment found in plants and algae that absorbs light energy to drive photosynthesis.
- The green pigment in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis.
"The leaf's rich colour comes from chlorophyl, the pigment that captures sunlight and turns it into food."
"In autumn, as chlorophyl breaks down, the hidden yellows and oranges of the leaves are finally revealed."
"Scientists measured the chlorophyl content of the water to estimate how much algae was blooming in the lake."
Rarely used in the plural except when distinguishing different chemical types of the pigment, e.g. chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll c.
"Different species of algae contain different chlorophyls, each absorbing slightly different wavelengths of light."
Chlorophyll is why plants are green: it absorbs red and blue light for photosynthesis but reflects green right back at your eyes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chlorophyl
The word comes from French chlorophylle, coined in the early 19th century from Greek roots: chloros, meaning pale green or yellowish-green, and phyllon, meaning leaf. It entered English shortly after, retaining both the spelling chlorophyll and the variant chlorophyl. The same Greek root chloros gives us chlorine, named for the gas's pale green colour, and chloroplast, while phyllon appears in botanical terms such as phyllo and phyllotaxis.
Related word forms
How chlorophyl is actually used
"Chlorophyl" is an accepted variant spelling, but "chlorophyll" with a double L is by far the standard form in both British and American English. The word belongs to scientific and educational registers rather than everyday conversation.
Easily confused with chlorophyl
Chloroform is a colourless anaesthetic solvent, while chlorophyll is the green light-absorbing pigment of plants; they share only the Greek root 'chloros' (pale green).
Chlorella is a genus of green freshwater algae, whereas chlorophyll is the pigment those algae — like all green plants — contain.