n.
Pronunciation: ' po ̇ r-f ə -r ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek porphyra purple
Date: 1910
: any of various compounds with a macrocyclic structure that consists essentially of four pyrrole rings joined by four = CH – groups especially : one (as chlorophyll or hemoglobin) containing a central metal atom and usually exhibiting biological activity