chlorophyll
/kˈlɔːɹəfɪl/KLAW-ruh-fil
/kˈlɔɹəfɪl/KLAW-ruh-fil
Meaningleaf green
Common meaning: the green pigment of plants
- chlorpale greenLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 890 · scan
- phylla leafLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 875 · scan
‘pale green’ + ‘a leaf’ → chlorophyll
Journey through time
Neither part’s path through time is traced in our sources yet; each root is shown from its dictionary entry.
- chlor — Greek χλωρός “pale green” (dictionary form; path not traced)
- phyll — Greek φύλλον “a leaf” (dictionary form; path not traced)
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek χλωρός ‘pale green’ + Greek φύλλον ‘a leaf’.
Roots
Related words
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