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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > POLYCHROMATIC

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pronounce POLYCHROMATIC:

POLL ee kruh MAD ick.

Or, if you like to sound more precise: POLL ee kro MAD ick.

Hear it.

connect this word to others:

In the movie Grease, here's how John Travolta launches into the song "Greased Lightnin':"

Well, this car could be systematic!
Hydromatic!
Ultramatic!

I really want him to keep doing, don't you? (Keep talkin', oh, keep talkin'!)

Polychromatic (multi-colored)!
E___matic (mysterious)!
Rh___matic (hard to kill)!

Keep it going! What other dramatic, ultramatic, ending-in-matic words can you come up with, and how silly or fitting are they for a busted-out car with endless potential?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) 

definition:

"Polychromatic" has Greek bits that mean "many-colored." We first applied it to a specific kind of acid in chemistry, and a specific kind of structure in medicine.

But since the year 1848 or so, we've used it more generally to mean made of many colors.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

It's an adjective: "polychromatic pottery," "polychromatic X-rays."

Other forms: 

Polychromatism; polychromatize, polychromatized, polychromatizing.

how to use it:

When you want an extra-emphatic, scientific-sounding, semi-sesquipedalian mess of synonym for "multicolor," pick "polychromatic."

It's pretty obvious what it means, so feel free to use it even if you think your listener won't know it.

It helps you emphasize how something has more than one color, or lots of colors. If, instead, you're trying to emphasize that the colors are vivid or lifelike, consider the word "technicolor" instead.

You could talk about things that are literally polychromatic, like art, food, architecture, hair, and makeup. Or talk about their polychromatic glory, splendor, or beauty.

Or, get figurative and talk about polychromatic music, language, or emotion.

examples:

"Our cities faced the sun in those days, towering in polychromatic splendor. Height was no obstacle then, for we had wings—wings!" 
   — Henry Hasse, Walls of Acid, 1947

"He was achieving a spirited effect by always wearing an austere black necktie fastened with a small gold safety-pin; he wore this necktie for weeks to a bewildering variety of suits, and then plunged into a wild polychromatic debauch of neckties."  
   — Arnold Bennett, Leonora, 1903

has this page helped you understand "polychromatic"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


study it:

Explain the meaning of "polychromatic" without saying "multicolor" or "variegated."

try it out:

Think of a show, a movie, or a book that does a good job of showing you all the "colors," or aspects or qualities, of some specific place or time.

Fill in the blanks: "For a polychromatic view of (some place or time), (see or read) (some show, movie, or book)."

Example: "For a polychromatic view of New York, see this new animated musical-comedy series [Central Park], about a family who lives in Central Park."
   — Gabe Cohn, New York Times, 29 May 2020




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for January: "Is That a Real Word?"

In each issue, I’ll give you three, um, written phenomena. You decide if each is a real word—and most importantly—why or why not. If someone were to dispute your judgment, how would you defend it? For fun, try comparing your responses with a companion’s. And if you like, you can compare yours with mine, which I’ll list at the bottom of the issue.

Try these today: Out of "meme," "go-kart," and "easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy," which, if any, are real words?

review this word:

1. The opposite of POLYCHROMATIC is

A. DICHROMATIC (two-colored).
B. MONOCHROME (one-colored).
C. POLYATOMIC (having multiple atoms).

2. Maura Judkis reported in the Washington Post that "a polychromatic grilled cheese lit up the Internet," one with _____.

A. caramelized onions and rosemary butter
B. bread infused with gold flakes and Dom Perignon
C. alarming swirls of psychedelically red, green, and lavender cheese




Answers to the review questions:
1. B
2. C

Let's compare notes from the game: I say they're all real words! 

"Meme:" While it might strike you as new and Internetty, it's actually from 1976, when Richard Dawkins coined it in his book The Selfish Gene.

"Go-kart:" It certainly looks made-up, especially with that cutesy "k," but... all words are made up! And this one has been around since 1957; you'll find it in dictionaries.

"Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy:" Just because it's twee enough to make you chew the insides of your cheeks doesn't stop it from being a word! You'll find it in the OED, and even if you hadn't heard it before, you immediately understood it, right?


a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
      36 ways to study words.
      Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
      How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
      How to improve any sentence.
      How to motivate our kids to write.
      How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
      How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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