Monochromy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of having only one colour throughout ; a work of art rendered entirely in one hue
2. Existence in a single shade without variation ; an artwork executed using just one tint or pigment
3. Being presented in one uniform colour ; a picture painted in a single tone with no other hues

Etymology: Monochromy is formed from the Greek "monos" meaning "single" or "alone" and "chroma" meaning "colour", with the English suffix "-y" that turns the adjective "monochrome" into a noun for the state of being one colour. The pattern is the same as in "monochrome" itself, which was coined from those Greek parts in the same way: a learned, technical-sounding construction built from classical roots rather than an ancient word that English inherited. The noun is used mainly in art, printing and photography, where it describes work rendered in a single hue or in shades of one hue. Because it is a straightforward compound with a common suffix, its history is simple, and its meaning follows directly from the parts that make it up.

Synonyms: monochromatism

Antonyms: polychromy