Pigment
noun /ˈpɪɡ.mənt/ — The coloring matter that gives paint its hue.
Definition
A substance that gives color to other materials through selective absorption of light. In art, pigments are ground colored particles suspended in a binder to create paint. Each pigment has its own history, toxicity, cost, and behavior.
Beyond the definition
There's something alchemical about pigment — the idea that color has physical substance, a particular mineral or plant origin. Ultramarine was once worth its weight in gold because lapis lazuli was rare.
Origin & history
From Latin 'pigmentum' (paint, dye); from 'pingere' (to paint). The word for the physical substance that carries color has been in English since the 14th century.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Vermeer's signature blues came from ultramarine — ground lapis lazuli from Afghanistan — an extraordinary expense for a Dutch genre painter.
Lead white was the brightest, most workable white pigment for centuries; it was also slowly poisoning the artists who used it.
Natural pigments have personalities — the way genuine earth pigments handle light is different from any synthetic substitute.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Pigment” when the meaning fits your context: A substance that gives color to other materials through selective absorption of light. In art, pigments are ground colored particles suspended in a binder to create paint. Each pigment has its own history, toxicity, cost, and behavior.
Synonyms
colorant, dye, hue substance, coloring matter
Related words
Pigment vs paint
Pigment is the pure, dry colorant powder that gives paint its hue. Paint is the final product created when pigment is mixed with a liquid binder.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Artist Working With Vivid Pigments
An artist sits in a studio with hands covered in thick, dark pigments, focused intensely on a small detail of a painting.
Pigment is a substance used for color. By showing the ground particles on the artist's hands, the image highlights the physical, chemical essence of color that provides the artist with their primary means of representation.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Pigment" mean?
Pigment is noun meaning: The coloring matter that gives paint its hue.. A substance that gives color to other materials through selective absorption of light. In art, pigments are ground colored particles suspended in a binder to create paint. Each pigment has its own history, toxicity, cost, and behavior.
Where does the word "Pigment" come from?
From Latin 'pigmentum' (paint, dye); from 'pingere' (to paint). The word for the physical substance that carries color has been in English since the 14th century.