pigmentation
Americannoun
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coloration in plants, animals, or man caused by the presence of pigments
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the deposition of pigment in animals, plants, or man
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of pigmentation
1865–70; < Late Latin pigmentāt ( us ) painted, colored ( see pigment, -ate 1) + -ion
Explanation
Pigmentation is the natural tint or color of any living thing. The black pigmentation on your dog's tongue is one clue that she may be part chow chow. Use this fancy word to mean "color," especially when you're talking about plants or animals (including people). The bright green pigmentation of a tree on your block changes to deep orange by mid-October. And the pigmentation in your skin may be slightly darker than your brother's. The word pigmentation comes from pigment and the Latin pingere, "to color or paint," a root it shares with the English word paint.
Vocabulary lists containing pigmentation
"How It Feels to Be Colored Me"
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 4
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Lessons 9–10
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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.
Thick hair, tattoos, darker pigmentation or aggressive movement can trip up sensors, says John Schuna, associate professor of kinesiology at Oregon State University.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Higgsfield, a platform for generating virtual models, gives creators options to add scars, burns, albinism -- a lack of melanin pigmentation -- and vitiligo, which causes white patches on the skin.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
UVA is associated with ageing of the skin and pigmentation as well as skin cancer.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2025
The team further confirmed that mir-193 is processed from a long non-protein-coding RNA, ivory, and it functions by directly repressing multiple pigmentation genes.
From Science Daily • Dec. 6, 2024
In addition I had my medicines and a month’s supply of the pigmentation capsules.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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.
