Definition of "chromatography" [chro•ma•tog•ra•phy]

• Any of various techniques for the separation of complex mixtures that rely on the differential affinities of substances for a gas or liquid mobile medium and for a stationary adsorbing medium through which they pass, such as paper, gelatin, or magnesia. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Chromatography was first developed more than a century ago and solid state gas chromatography is more than 60 years old."
• "Essentially, chromatography is a filtering process that allows distinct compounds or molecules to be separated by molecular size and weight."
• "Screening for high-oleic acid by any breeding programs was done by measuring fatty acid content of the seeds by using gas chromatography, which is a destructive method."