albino

American  

[al-bahy-noh, -bee-] / ælˈbaɪ noʊ, -ˈbi- /

noun

plural

albinos

1. a person with pale skin, light hair, pinkish eyes, and visual abnormalities resulting from a hereditary inability to produce the pigment melanin.

2. an animal or plant with a marked deficiency in pigmentation.

3. Philately. an embossed stamp accidentally left without ink.

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albino British  

/ ˌælbɪˈnɒtɪk, ælˈbiːnəʊ, ælˈbɪnɪk, ˈælbɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. a person with congenital absence of pigmentation in the skin, eyes, and hair

2. any animal or plant that is deficient in pigment

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albino Scientific  

/ ăl-bī′nō /

1. An organism lacking normal pigmentation or coloration. Animals that are albinos lack pigmentation due to a congenital absence of melanin. In humans and other mammals, albinos have white hair, pale skin, and usually pinkish eyes. Plants that are albinos lack normal amounts of chlorophyll or other pigments.

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Other Word Forms

• albinal
  adjective
• albinic
  adjective
• albinism
  noun
• albinotic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of albino

1770–80; < Portuguese, equivalent to alb ( o ) white (< Latin albus ) + -ino -ine ¹

Explanation

An albino is someone who is born with an absence of skin and hair pigmentation. This usually results in an albino having pale hair, eyes, and skin. Some people who are considered to be albinos find the term offensive, although there are many different opinions about this in the community. For most people with albinism — or lack of pigmentation — if the word albino is used respectfully, it's perfectly acceptable. The disorder is genetic, and it can affect just the eyes, or the eyes and the skin. The word albino has a Latin root, albus, or "white."

Example Sentences

A sad farewell to Claude, the albino alligator.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

Claude, a rare albino alligator whose ghostly white scales and statue-like stillness earned him a cult-like following around the world, died Tuesday, according to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters is crawling with stuffed albino alligators.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 16, 2025

Consider caviar: while Baerii caviar costs around 1,600 euros per kilogram, Almas caviar – a rare delicacy from albino beluga sturgeon – can exceed 30,000 euros per kilogram.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2025

Shortly after his return to consciousness, the albino appeared, bloodless, with skin as pale as dying birch.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman