chrome

IPA/krəʊm/
KK[krˈom]IPA/krəʊm/

chrome — noun

1. the bright silver-coloured chromium surface used on things like taps, chair legs

1.nounC1
Definition

the bright silver-coloured chromium surface used on things like taps, chair legs, or car trim, usually to make them shine and protect the metal underneath.

Example

Bilal wiped fingerprints off the chrome faucet after shaving.

chrome + fixture noun

Sunlight flashed off the chrome bumper as the taxi turned the corner.

chrome + car-part noun

Common collocations
  • chrome faucet
  • chrome bumper
  • chrome trim
  • chrome legs
  • bright chrome
  • polished chrome
Synonyms
  • chromium plating

    more technical phrase for the chromium layer added to a surface

  • metal trim

    broader term for decorative metal parts; not always chromium

Grammar Patterns

chrome + fixture/car-part noun

in chrome

Usage Note

Usually uncountable. In everyday use, this sense often names the shiny plated finish or trim on an object, not a whole piece made from solid chromium. Distinguish from sense 2 when the context is chemistry or industrial ingredients.

Common Mistakes

The car has many chromes on the front.
The car has a lot of chrome on the front.
this sense is usually uncountable when you mean shiny metal trim in general.

2. chromium referred to in technical work, especially as an ingredient in colouring

2.nounC2
Definition

chromium referred to in technical work, especially as an ingredient in colourings, pigments, or industrial compounds.

Example

The factory stopped using chrome in its yellow road paint.

chrome in pigments / paint

Scientists tested the river water for traces of chrome.

traces of chrome

Common collocations
  • traces of chrome
  • chrome dust
  • chrome pigment
  • chrome dye
Synonyms
  • chromium

    the standard chemical name; more usual in science writing

  • Cr

    chemical symbol used in formulas and labels, not ordinary prose

Grammar Patterns

chrome in + substance

traces of chrome

Usage Note

Mostly found in scientific, industrial, or environmental contexts. In ordinary consumer language, people usually mean sense 1 when they talk about chrome on a car, sink, or chair.

chrome — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These terms are related, but they are not interchangeable. 'Chromium' is the scientific name of the element and is the normal choice in chemistry, safety reports, and industrial writing. In everyday English, 'chrome' usually means the shiny finish or trim you can see on a tap, chair, or car. 'Chrome-plated' is an adjective for an object that has that finish on its surface. 'Stainless steel' may also look bright and silvery, but it names the whole metal rather than a thin chromium layer. Compare: 'The lab measured chromium in the water,' 'The bike has a lot of chrome,' and 'The shelf is chrome-plated, not solid stainless steel.'

chrome ↗chromium ↗chrome-platedstainless steel

Common collocations

Nouns

  • chrome faucet
  • chrome bumper
  • chrome trim
  • chrome wheels
  • chrome finish

Phrases

  • bright chrome
  • polished chrome
  • chrome the frame
  • be chromed

Prepositions

  • in chrome

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

Chrome came into English through French 'chrôme', which was built from Greek 'chrôma', meaning 'colour'. The word first referred to chromium and later came to mean the shiny chromium finish seen on metal surfaces and fittings.

First known use

1800

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb