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melanophore

American  
[muh-lan-uh-fawr, -fohr, mel-uh-nuh-] / məˈlæn əˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr, ˈmɛl ə nə- /

noun

Biology.

  1. a pigmented connective-tissue cell containing melanin in its cytoplasm, responsible for color changes in many fishes and reptiles.

melanophore Scientific  
/ mĕl′ə-nə-fôr′,mə-lăn′ə- /

  1. A pigmented cell that contains melanin, found especially in the skin of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles.

Etymology

Origin of melanophore

First recorded in 1900–05; melano- + -phore

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The smaller frogs were recently metamorphosed as evidenced by the melanophore deposits above the vent.

From A Synopsis of Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Osteocephalus by Duellman, William E.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.