melanophore

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

noun Biology.

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

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Origin of melanophore

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

Words nearby melanophore

melanoleukoderma colli, melanoma, melanomatosis, melanonychia, melanophage, melanophore, melanoplakia, melanosis, melanosis coli, melanosome, melanospermous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for melanophore

Medical definitions for melanophore

melanophore
[ mĕl′ə-nə-fôr′, mə-lăn′ə- ]

n.

A pigment cell that contains melanin, especially as found in the skin of amphibians and reptiles.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for melanophore

melanophore
[ mĕl′ə-nə-fôr′, mə-lăn′ə- ]

A pigmented cell that contains melanin, found especially in the skin of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.