pigment
C1Formal/Technical
Definition
Meaning
A substance that gives colour to something, especially a dry powder that is mixed with a liquid to produce paint, ink, etc.
The natural colouring matter of animal or plant tissue. In a broader sense, any substance used to impart colour to a material.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun referring to the colouring agent itself, not the resulting colour. Can be used as a verb meaning 'to colour with pigment'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation are consistent.
Connotations
Neutral technical/scientific term in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in technical, artistic, and biological contexts in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
pigment of [colour]pigment in [substance]pigment for [use]pigment derived from [source]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specifically with 'pigment']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in manufacturing, cosmetics, and art supply industries to refer to colour components.
Academic
Common in biology (e.g., chlorophyll, melanin), chemistry, art history, and conservation studies.
Everyday
Mostly in discussions about paint, art, makeup, or skin/hair colour.
Technical
Precise term in chemistry, painting, printing, and dermatology.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The conservator will carefully pigment the repaired area to match the original.
- Ancient artists pigmented their walls using ochre and charcoal.
American English
- The makeup artist pigmented the foundation to perfectly match her skin tone.
- They pigment the plastic during the manufacturing process.
adverb
British English
- [No adverbial form]
American English
- [No adverbial form]
adjective
British English
- [No standard adjectival form. 'Pigmentary' is rare/medical.]
American English
- [No standard adjectival form. 'Pigmentary' is rare/medical.]
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The artist uses blue pigment to make the sky.
- My skin has a brown pigment called melanin.
- This red pigment comes from crushed insects.
- You need to mix the pigment with oil to make paint.
- The chemical stability of the pigment determines the painting's longevity.
- A lack of pigment in the leaves causes them to turn yellow.
- Ultramarine pigment, historically derived from lapis lazuli, was more precious than gold.
- The study focuses on the photodegradation of organic pigments in modern artworks.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PIG with MENtally vibrant colours – a pig with colourful skin shows different pigments.
Conceptual Metaphor
PIGMENT IS A BUILDING BLOCK OF COLOUR (we 'mix', 'layer', or 'apply' pigments to 'build' a coloured surface).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'краска' (paint) – pigment is the colouring agent within the paint.
- Not equivalent to 'пигмент' in all contexts; Russian 'пигмент' is more strictly scientific.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'pigment' to mean the final colour instead of the substance that creates it (e.g., 'The pigment of the sky is blue' is incorrect).
- Confusing 'pigment' (dry colourant) with 'dye' (liquid/soluble colourant).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'pigment' used most precisely?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A pigment is typically an insoluble powder suspended in a medium (like paint), while a dye is a soluble substance that soaks into a material (like fabric dye).
Yes, though less common. It means 'to colour with or as if with pigment' (e.g., 'The tissue was pigmented for analysis').
In the context of art supplies (paints, inks) and cosmetics (foundation, eyeshadow).
A natural substance that gives colour to living tissue, such as chlorophyll (green in plants), melanin (brown in skin/hair), or haemoglobin (red in blood).