countershading

[ koun-ter-shey-ding ]

/ ˈkaʊn tərˌʃeɪ dɪŋ /

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.

Nearby words

counterreply, counterrevolution, counterrevolutionary, counterrotating, counterscarp, countershading, countershaft, countershock, countersign, countersignature, countersink

Origin of countershading

First recorded in 1895–1900; counter- + shading

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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