What does pigment mean?
A pigment is a substance that gives color to another material or to a living organism. In art and manufacturing, the term can refer to finely ground coloring materials used in paint, ink, plastics, and cosmetics. In biology, pigments are molecules or structures that produce visible coloration, such as melanin in the skin or chlorophyll in plants. Pigments differ from dyes mainly in how they are attached to the colored material: pigments tend to be insoluble and are dispersed within a substance, while dyes are generally dissolved and can bond with fibers. The word is also used more broadly for coloration itself, especially in phrases such as skin pigment. Understanding the term is useful across science, medicine, art, and everyday discussion of color.
A substance that gives color to a material or a living organism.
"The paint contains a pigment that reflects more blue light than red."
In biology, pigment commonly refers to a molecule or structure responsible for coloration.
To give color to something, or to become colored.
"The leaves are beginning to pigment as the season changes."
The verb is less common than the noun and is especially used in biology and descriptive writing.
Use the plural when referring to multiple coloring substances or types of pigment.
"The laboratory tested several pigments for lightfastness."
Your skin color, eye color, and much of the color of plants and animals come from pigments—substances that absorb or reflect particular wavelengths of light.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pigment come from?
The English word comes through French from Latin pigmentum, a term derived from the Latin verb pingere, meaning “to paint” or “to color.” Latin pigmentum was originally used for a coloring substance or dye and later developed into the modern scientific sense of naturally occurring coloring matter. The same root is reflected in English words such as painting, painter, and painted, as well as in pigmental and pigmentary formations.
Related word forms
How pigment is actually used
In general use, pigment often implies a relatively concentrated or naturally occurring coloring substance. It is common in biology, art, cosmetics, and materials science.