albino

[al-bahy-noh, -bee-]

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.

albino

/ 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

albino

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.

Other Word Forms

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

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

The network once demanded that they change the line “that albino stole my midget” to “that madman stole my hobo.”

From Los Angeles Times

The organisation said albino and leucistic birds could be distinguished by eye colour.

From BBC

The first living Omura’s whale was seen in the wild in 2015, but this is the first known sighting of what appears to be an albino of the species off Thailand.

From BBC

There was a white one among them, an albino turtle, the pattern on its back etched out in shiny black lines.

From Literature

They differ from albino alligators, which have pink eyes and a complete loss of pigment.

From BBC