melanin

American  

[mel-uh-nin] / ˈmɛl ə nɪn /

noun

1. any of a class of insoluble pigments, found in all forms of animal life, that account for the dark color of skin, hair, fur, scales, feathers, etc.

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melanin British  

/ ˈmɛlənɪn /

noun

1. any of a group of black or dark brown pigments present in the hair, skin, and eyes of man and animals: produced in excess in certain skin diseases and in melanomas

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melanin Scientific  

/ mĕl′ə-nĭn /

1. Any of various pigments that are responsible for the dark color of the skin, hair, scales, feathers, and eyes of animals and are also found in plants, fungi, and bacteria. Melanins are polymers, often bound to proteins, and in the animal kingdom are built from compounds produced by the oxidation of the amino acid tyrosine.

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melanin Cultural  

1. A dark brown coloring found in the body, especially in the skin and hair. Produced by special skin cells that are sensitive to sunlight, melanin protects the body by absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

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Discover More

The amount of melanin present in the skin determines the color of a person's complexion: people with a large amount have dark skin, whereas those with very little have fair skin. Melanin is also responsible for tanning.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• melaninlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of melanin

First recorded in 1835–45; melan- + -in ²

Example Sentences

Higgsfield, a platform for generating virtual models, gives creators options to add scars, burns, albinism -- a lack of melanin pigmentation -- and vitiligo, which causes white patches on the skin.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Albinism, which affects an estimated 30,000 people in Tanzania, is a rare genetic condition that reduces melanin - the pigment that gives colour to skin, eyes and hair.

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025

I wanted to be the melanin expert, and I do consider myself that.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

The researchers also created designs on the textiles by genetically engineering the kombucha bacteria to produce melanin pigment only when exposed to blue light, which was projected in patterns onto the sheet of cellulose.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 9, 2024

The sunlight illuminates the melanin in her face.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer