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chromatography

American  
[kroh-muh-tog-ruh-fee] / ˌkroʊ məˈtɒg rə fi /

noun

Chemistry.

  1. the separation of mixtures into their constituents by preferential adsorption by a solid, as a column of silica column chromatography or a strip of filter paper paper chromatography, or by a liquid.

chromatography British  
/ ˌkrəʊmətəˈɡræfɪk, ˌkrəʊməˈtɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

  1. the technique of separating and analysing the components of a mixture of liquids or gases by selective adsorption in, for example, a column of powder ( column chromatography ) or on a strip of paper ( paper chromatography ) See also gas chromatography

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
chromatography Scientific  
/ krō′mə-tŏg′rə-fē /

  1. A technique used to separate the components of a chemical mixture by moving the mixture along a stationary material, such as gelatin. Different components of the mixture are caught by the material at different rates and form isolated bands that can then be analyzed.

Other Word Forms

  • chromatographer noun
  • chromatographic adjective
  • chromatographically adverb

Etymology

Origin of chromatography

First recorded in 1725–35; chromato- + -graphy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Using two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry, they detected more than 900 chemical signatures, representing both known and previously unidentified compounds.

From Science Daily

They used radiocarbon dating to determine age and applied gas chromatography -- mass spectrometry to identify the caulking's chemical makeup.

From Science Daily

First, the crude diterpene extract was separated into 19 fractions using silica gel chromatography.

From Science Daily

The researchers used a technique called gas chromatography to separate the different smells inside the sarcophagus that combined to make its scent.

From BBC

She also uses soil chromatography, a photographic process that indicates the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the earth.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.