countershading

[ koun-ter-shey-ding ]

nounZoology.
  1. 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.

Origin of countershading

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; counter- + shading

Words Nearby countershading

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for countershading

countershading

/ (ˌkaʊntəˈʃeɪdɪŋ) /


noun
  1. (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