chrome

See also: chromé and -chrome

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French chrome.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kɹəʊm/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɹoʊm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊm

Noun

chrome (usually uncountable, plural chromes)

1. Chromium, when used to plate other metals.
2. (graphical user interface) The basic structural elements used in a graphical user interface, such as window frames and scroll bars, as opposed to the content.
   • 2009, Richard Wagner, Adobe AIR For Dummies‎^[1], John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

     So, just as a car might have shiny chrome trimming, a bumper, and a grill that cover the vehicle, so the chrome of an OS window surrounds and complements the window itself. Examples of chrome include the title bar, the Minimize/Maximize/Restore buttons, menu bars, and toolbars.

   • 2012 January 29, Jakob Nielsen, “Browser and GUI Chrome”, in Nielsen Norman Group homepage‎^[2], Nielsen Norman Group, archived from the original on 2013-03-07:

     Similarly [to the chrome exterior of an automobile], in most modern GUIs, the chrome lives around the edges of the screen, surrounding the middle area, which is dedicated to the user's data.

   • 2020 January 4, Jimmy Grewal, quoting Maf Vosburgh, “Internet Explorer 5 for Mac: twentieth anniversary”, in Jimmy's Blog‎^[3], archived from the original on 2020-01-09:

     I had the idea of making our browser chrome match the actual hardware you were on. If your Mac’s bezel was Bondi blue, we’d make our UI Bondi blue.

3. (US, slang, collective) handguns
   • 2012, “Ali Bomaye”, in Jesus Piece, performed by The Game:

     Disrespect my nigga Boss and I'm flashin' the chrome

   • 2013, “Hive”, in Doris, performed by Earl Sweatshirt:

     I ain't trippin' long 'cause I can reach the chrome / Heat your home like Southern California Gas, police pass

Derived terms

Terms derived from chrome (noun)

• bright chrome
• chrome alum
• chrome-ammonia alum
• chrome black
• chrome blue
• chrome brick
• chrome colour
• chrome diopside
• chrome dome
• chrome furnace
• chrome garnet
• chrome green
• chrome handler
• chrome horn
• chrome ink
• chrome iron
• chrome iron ore
• chromel
• chrome leather
• chromeless
• chrome maker
• chrome-nickel steel
• chrome ocher, chrome ochre
• chrome orange
• chrome-plated
• chrome red
• chrome solid
• chrome spinel
• chrome-sulfuric acid
• chrome-tanned
• chrome-tanning
• chrome tape
• chrome violet
• chrome yellow
• chromic
• chromite
• chromous
• ferrochrome
• hard chrome
• lemon chrome
• mercurochrome
• national school bus chrome
• Nichrome
• orange chrome
• zinc chrome

 

Related terms

Terms etymologically related to chrome (noun)

• chromidium
• chromium

Verb

chrome (third-person singular simple present chromes, present participle chroming, simple past and past participle chromed)

1. (transitive) To plate with chrome.
2. (transitive) To treat with a solution of potassium bichromate, as in dyeing.

Synonyms

• chromium-plate

Translations

to plate with chrome

• Dutch: verchromen (nl)
• Finnish: kromata (fi)
• French: chromer (fr)
• German: verchromen (de)
• Greek: επιχρωμιώνω (el) (epichromióno)
• Hungarian: krómoz (hu)
• Italian: cromare (it)
• Polish: chromować (pl) impf, pochromować pf
• Portuguese: cromar (pt)
• Romanian: croma (ro)
• Russian: хроми́ровать (ru) impf or pf (xromírovatʹ)
• Spanish: cromar (es)

Further reading

• “chrome”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• chomer

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʁom/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

chrome m (uncountable)

1. chromium

Related terms

• chromage
• chromate
• chromer
• chromeux
• chromique
• jaune de chrome
• nickel chrome
• vert de chrome

Descendants

• Lingala: kolomo

Further reading

• “chrome”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• chômer

Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxrɔmɛ/, [ˈxrɔmə]

Adjective

chrome

1. inflection of chromy:
   1. neuter nominative/accusative singular
   2. nominative/accusative plural

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxrɔ.mɛ/
• Rhymes: -ɔmɛ
• Syllabification: chro‧me

Adjective

chrome

1. inflection of chromy:
   1. neuter nominative/accusative/vocative singular
   2. nonvirile nominative/accusative/vocative plural