ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷krōˈmāzh(ē)ə noun
or meta·chro·ma·sy -ˈkrōməsē ; or meta·chro·ma·sis -əsə̇s
( plural metachromasias or metachromasies or metachromasises )
Etymology: New Latin metachromasia or metachromasis, from meta- + -chromasia or -chromasis (perhaps alteration of -chromasia ); metachromasy, International Scientific Vocabulary, from New Latin metachromasia or metachromasis
1. : the property of various tissues of staining in a different color (as when treatment with a blue aniline dye makes a cellular element red)
2. : the property of various biologic stains that permits a single dye to stain different tissue elements in different colors