albino

[ al-bahy-nohor, especially British, -bee- ]

noun

, plural al·bi·nos.

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.

albino

/ ælˈbiːnəʊ; ˌælbɪˈnɒtɪk; ˈælbɪˌnɪzəm; ælˈbɪnɪk /

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

albino

/ 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.

Derived Forms

• albinic, adjective
• albinotic, adjective
• albinism, noun

Other Words From

• al·bin·ic [al-, bin, -ik], al·bi·nal [al, -b, uh, -nl], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of albino¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of albino¹

C18: via Portuguese from Spanish, from albo white, from Latin albus

Example Sentences

Even though it has humble origins—in the cranium of an albino rat and in poems about tapeworms— “wireheading” is an idea that is likely only to become increasingly important in the near future.

From Singularity Hub 

The researchers also bred the two, which resulted in a litter of fully albino opossums, showing that the coloring was an inherited genetic trait.

From MIT Technology Review

A passing reference to “a nervous albino rabbit, Alphonso, who died by nibbling voraciously through an electric cable.”

From Washington Post

One mutation on a single gene turns an animal into an albino.

From Science News For Students

As for Magician—the strong-willed love interest of Komona, his role was never scripted to be an albino.

From The Daily Beast

Nine burros, 109 beagles, 10 sheep, and 31 albino rats were put in cages and set to face the dirty bomb.

From The Daily Beast

Now neighboring countries are starting to use albino body parts—and the wealthy and the powerful are fueling the practice.

From The Daily Beast

Politicians who want to win elections wear large rings with albino powder hidden inside, she said.

From The Daily Beast

The albino crisis is a bleak spot in a time of economic optimism in Tanzania.

From The Daily Beast

The skin of a white person and that of an albino show up the same under a microscope: white.

From Project Gutenberg

Very likely it's the six-toed beast Terry was sending us to cross with the four-toed albino.

From Project Gutenberg

One of them, who was an almost albino blond, flushed to the roots of his pale hair.

From Project Gutenberg

He was a short, heavy-set Sirian with a shock of scarlet hair, albino skin, and red eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

An albino form of Cattleya Bowringiana had never been heard of, but he thought it might exist.

From Project Gutenberg