melanism

American  

[mel-uh-niz-uhm] / ˈmɛl əˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. Ethnology. the condition in human beings of having a high amount of melanin granules in the skin, hair, and eyes.

2. Zoology. the condition in which an unusually high concentration of melanin occurs in the skin, plumage, or pelage of an animal.

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melanism British  

/ ˈmɛləˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. the condition in man and animals of having dark-coloured or black skin, feathers, etc. Industrial melanism is the occurrence of dark varieties of animals, esp moths, in smoke-blackened industrial regions, in which they are well camouflaged

2. another name for melanosis

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melanism Scientific  

/ mĕl′ə-nĭz′əm /

1. Dark coloration of the skin, hair, fur, or feathers because of a high concentration of melanin.

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Other Word Forms

• melanistic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of melanism

First recorded in 1835–45; melan- + -ism