noun
also chlo·ro·phyl ˈklōrəˌfil, -ȯr-, -_fə̇l sometimes -är-
( -s )
Etymology: French chlorophylle, from chlor- + -phylle -phyll
1.
a. : the green coloring material of plants that is essential to photosynthesis, occurs usually in discrete bodies and only in the presence of light and where iron is available in the living cell, and is extractable as a mixture of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b together with various amounts of other pigments (as carotene and xanthophyll) — see chloroplast
b. : any of several oil-soluble pigments making up this green coloring matter: as
(1) : an ester C 55 H 72 MgN 4 O 5 obtained as a blue-black powder that is a magnesium-containing porphyrin derivative related structurally to heme and that yields phytol and methanol on hydrolysis — called also chlorophyll a
(2) : an ester C 55 H 70 MgN 4 O 6 obtained as a dark green powder and very closely related structurally to chlorophyll a — called also chlorophyll b
2. : a dark green waxy substance obtained by extraction of green plants (as nettles or alfalfa) that contains chlorophyll or chlorophyll derivatives and often other plant constituents and is used especially as a coloring agent or for its claimed deodorant properties