The optical property of a material where different colors are observed depending on the direction of light transmission or the angle of observation.
From Greek 'dicha' (two) and 'chroma' (color), plus the suffix '-ism' (the practice, system, or condition of). This term was formalized in optical science during the 1800s.
Tourmaline crystals display striking dichroism—look at one angle and it's dark green, rotate it 90 degrees and it's nearly colorless; this property is so reliable that miners historically used it to orient and cut the stones perfectly.
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