chrome

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A hard, bright, mirror-like metal finish, made from chromium, used to cover car parts, taps and other fittings.

   Grammar: Uncountable: shiny chrome, not a chrome.

   Patterns

   • covered in chrome
   • chrome on something

   The old motorcycle had gleaming chrome on the handlebars.

   He polished the chrome until it shone.

   The taps are made of brass plated with chrome.

2. 2noununcountabletechnicalchemistry

   The metallic element chromium, or an ore and pigment made from it, especially a yellow or green colouring.

   Grammar: A less common use, mostly in chemistry or art; often in chrome yellow or chrome green.

   Patterns

   • chrome yellow

   Chrome is mined mostly for use in steel and plating.

   The painter chose chrome yellow for the sunflowers.

   Leather can be treated by chrome tanning.

3. 3proper nounpropercomputingtrademark

   A popular web browser made by Google, used to open and browse pages on the internet.

   Grammar: Capitalized as a name: open it in Chrome.

   Patterns

   • open something in Chrome

   The page loads faster in Chrome than in my old browser.

   Update Chrome to the latest version for security fixes.

   I installed an extension in Chrome to block adverts.

Common combinations

gleaming chrome

Gleaming chrome ran along the side of the vintage car.

chrome plating

The factory offers chrome plating for bicycle parts.

chrome bumper

Old cars had a heavy chrome bumper.

chrome finish

The kettle has a polished chrome finish.

chrome yellow

The poster used chrome yellow for the title.

Synonyms and how they differ

chromium

Chromium is the scientific name of the element, while chrome is the everyday word for the shiny coating.

nickel

Nickel is a different metal also used for shiny plating, though it looks a bit warmer.

steel

Steel is an alloy used as a structure, whereas chrome is normally just a thin surface layer.

Word family

chromium noun

The hard grey metallic element with symbol Cr.

chromed adjective

Covered with chrome.

chromic adjective

Relating to chromium in chemistry.

chromium-plated adjective

Coated with a thin layer of chromium.

Commonly confused: chrome or chroma?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “chrome”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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