How Do You Spell PLEOCHROMATISM?

Pronunciation: [plɪˈɒkɹə͡ʊmətˌɪzəm] (IPA)

The word "pleochromatism" is a term used in mineralogy to describe the variation in color exhibited by a mineral when viewed from different angles under polarized light. The spelling of the word is as follows: /pliːoʊˈkroʊmətɪzəm/. The first syllable 'pleo' is pronounced as 'plee-oh', the 'ch' in 'chromatism' is pronounced as a /k/ sound, and the 'ism' at the end is pronounced with the /ɪzəm/ sound. Proper spelling is crucial to accurately communicate specialized concepts like pleochromatism in scientific fields.

PLEOCHROMATISM Meaning and Definition

1. Pleochromatism is a term used in mineralogy and geology to describe the phenomenon of certain minerals exhibiting different colors when viewed from different angles. The term is derived from the Greek words "pleo," meaning more, and "chroma," meaning color.

   When light enters a mineral, it may be absorbed by certain chemical impurities or crystal lattice defects within the mineral structure. These impurities or defects can cause selective absorption of certain wavelengths of light, leading to variations in color perception. As a result, pleochromatic minerals can display different colors depending on the orientation of the crystal, the angle of observation, or the polarization of the light.

   For example, a mineral may appear blue when viewed parallel to the crystal axis but change to green when viewed perpendicular to it. This color variation can be a useful diagnostic tool in mineral identification and can provide valuable information about the crystal structure and chemical composition of a mineral.

   Pleochromatism is not limited to a particular color change, and various minerals can show different color alterations. It is primarily observed in minerals with strong absorption bands due to impurities like transition metals or in minerals with anisotropic optical properties. Pleochromatism can enhance the beauty and value of gemstones and is of significant interest to scientists and collectors studying minerals and gemology.

2. Pleochroism.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for PLEOCHROMATISM

• Pleochromatis
• oleochromatism
• lleochromatism
• -leochromatism
• 0leochromatism
• pkeochromatism
• ppeochromatism
• poeochromatism
• plwochromatism
• plsochromatism
• pldochromatism
• plrochromatism
• pl4ochromatism
• pl3ochromatism
• pleichromatism
• plekchromatism
• plelchromatism
• plepchromatism
• ple0chromatism
• ple9chromatism

Etymology of PLEOCHROMATISM

The word "pleochromatism" is derived from the combination of two Greek words: "pleon" meaning "more" or "many" and "chroma" meaning "color".

In gemology and mineralogy, pleochromatism refers to the phenomenon in which a mineral or gemstone appears to have different colors when viewed from different angles. The term was coined in the late 19th century to describe this property.