A chemical group or molecule that absorbs visible light and is responsible for the color of a substance.
From Greek 'chroma' (color) + '-phore' (bearer, carrier). Coined in chemistry to describe the molecular parts that actually produce colors in compounds.
Every pigment and dye has a chromaphore—it's the actual molecular structure doing the color work, like the engine in a car; understanding chromaphores is how scientists design new colors synthetically.
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