chrome

chrome — noun

1. a bright, silvery metal that gives a mirror-like finish and is applied as a thin

1.nounB2
Definition

a bright, silvery metal that gives a mirror-like finish and is applied as a thin protective coating over steel or other materials to prevent rust and improve appearance.

Example

The Watanabe family chose chrome kitchen fixtures because the smooth surface wipes clean easily.

collocation: chrome fixtures / chrome plating

Restoring the old car meant replacing every piece of rusted chrome on the bumpers.

context: automotive restoration

Common collocations
  • chrome fixtures
  • chrome plating
  • chrome finish
  • polished chrome
  • shiny chrome
  • rusted chrome
  • chrome bumper
Synonyms
  • chromium

    the pure chemical element Cr; more technical and often used in chemistry contexts

  • plating

    a broader term that includes chrome as one type; can also refer to nickel, zinc, or gold plating

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, 'chrome' usually refers to the shiny plated coating on objects such as car parts, kitchen fittings, and furniture, rather than to the pure element chromium.

Common Mistakes

The car has chromium bumpers' (when describing the plated finish).
The car has chrome bumpers.
'chromium' is the chemical element; 'chrome' is the everyday word for the shiny coating.
I need to buy chrome paint' (when referring to metallic spray paint).
I need to buy chrome-effect paint.
true chrome is a metal plating, not a paint.

chrome — verb

Word family

  • chromium
    nounC1
  • chromed
    adjectiveB2
  • chromic
    adjectiveC2
  • chromium-plated
    adjectiveC1
  • chroming
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'chrome' and 'chromium' both refer to the element Cr, they differ in everyday usage: 'chrome' is the common name for the shiny plated coating found on car parts and kitchen fittings, whereas 'chromium' is the technical term used in chemistry and metallurgy. 'Plating' covers a wider set of metal coatings — anything from gold to nickel to zinc — and is a process term rather than a material name. 'Stainless steel' is a different alloy that resists rust without extra plating; it has a duller, less reflective finish than polished chrome. For example, a car might have a chrome-plated grille that gleams, stainless steel exhaust tips that are matte, and a chromium content listed in the metal's technical specification.

chromiumplatingstainless steel

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • with chrome

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

The word 'chrome' comes from the Greek 'chroma' (χρῶμα), meaning 'colour', because chromium compounds produce vivid pigments in a range of shades — yellow, green, orange, and red. The element chromium was named in the early 1800s by French chemist Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin, who discovered it. 'Chrome' emerged as a shortened everyday form of 'chromium' in the mid-19th century and became widely used once the electroplating industry made chrome-plated goods common.