Mül·le·ri·an | \ myü-ˈlir-ē-ən 
, mi-, ˌmə- \
, mi-, ˌmə- \variants:
or Mullerian or müllerian or mullerian
Definition of Müllerian
: of, relating to, or being mimicry that exists between two or more inedible or dangerous species (as of butterflies or bees) and that is considered in evolutionary theory to be a mechanism which reduces loss to predation by simplifying the warning colors and patterns a predator must recognize
Mullerian mimicry differs from Batesian mimicry in that all the species in the complex are unpalatable, they cannot be distinguished by predators, and they must be found in the same place at the same time.— Arthur V. Evans and Charles L. Bellamy a Müllerian mimic
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on Müllerian
What made you want to look up Müllerian? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Here Be Dragons: A Creature Identification Quiz
- Which is a synonym of werewolf?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share Müllerian
Time Traveler for Müllerian
The first known use of Müllerian was in 1898
See more words from the same year