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chromatin

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Etymology and origin of the English word chromatin

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1882 Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club More words from the 19th century
Borrowed from
German Chromatin
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek χρῶμα

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈkɹəʊmətɪn/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from German Chromatin,[2][3][4] coined by the German anatomist Walther Flemming,[2][3][5] in 1879 according to Etymonline and Klein,[3][5] or in an 1880 article in the “Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie” according to the OED.[2] He formed it from the stem of Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour”) and the chemical suffix -in.[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A part of the cell nucleus that is readily stained by dyes: 1882, in the Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The substance was named for its strong affinity for colouring matter, which made it stand out under the microscope.[3][2] Modern dictionaries define it as a complex chiefly of DNA and proteins (histones) that is spread through the nucleus between divisions and condenses into the chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis.[4][6][7]

Timeline

  • 1882 – the readily stained material of the cell nucleus.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (biology) The material of the cell nucleus, made chiefly of DNA and histone proteins, which condenses into chromosomes during cell division and stains readily with basic dyes.[4][6][2]

Word family

  • chromatinic
  • chromatoid
  • euchromatin
  • heterochromatin

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  6. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  7. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Chromatin.” Etymologically, 13 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/chromatin. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·