countershading
[ koun-ter-shey-ding ]
/ ˈkaʊn tərˌʃeɪ dɪŋ /
Save This Word!
noun Zoology.
the development of dark colors on parts usually exposed to the sun and of light colors on parts usually shaded, especially as serving for protection or concealment.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Words nearby countershading
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for countershading
countershading
/ (ˌkaʊntəˈʃeɪdɪŋ) /
noun
(in the coloration of certain animals) a pattern, serving as camouflage, in which dark colours occur on parts of the body exposed to the light and pale colours on parts in the shade
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012