dichromatism

[ dahy-kroh-muh-tiz-uhm ]

noun

1. the quality or state of being dichromatic.
2. Also called di·chro·ma·top·si·a [dahy-kroh-m, uh, -, top, -see-, uh]. Ophthalmology. a defect of vision in which the retina responds to only two of the three primary colors. Compare monochromatism ( def 2 ), trichromatism ( def 3 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of dichromatism¹

First recorded in 1880–85; dichromat(ic) + -ism

Example Sentences

Hybridism and dichromatism are believed to account for these birds of which somewhat over a hundred specimens are known, chiefly from the lower Hudson and Connecticut Valleys.

From Project Gutenberg

The pumas were for the most part bright red, but some were reddish gray, there being much the same dichromatism that I found among their Colorado kinsfolk.

From Project Gutenberg