Definition of melanin
: any of various black, dark brown, reddish-brown, or yellow pigments of animal or plant structures (such as skin or hair)
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Recent Examples of melanin from the Web
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Melanoma is a cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells that produce the skin-color pigment melanin.
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Expert fix: Topical treatments that contain skin lighteners such as soy, licorice extract, or vitamin C have been shown to disperse excess melanin, making skin look more even-toned.
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When calcium levels are higher than normal, the cells produce melanin, a dark pigment that’s already found in the skin.
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But even the consultant had to admit none of that melanin is hurting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
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There’s also zinc (found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, crab, lobster, and more), which helps your body produce melanin, a protective pigment in the eyes.
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Dunnavant and her husband Chris Barnwell worked to process the news that their new little girl has albinism, a congenital disorder in which there is little or no production of melanin.
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The serum also helps reduce melanin overproduction, lessening hyperpigmentation.
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People with black hair have more melanin in general, but especially more of the subtype eumelanin, which studies have shown binds particularly well with cocaine and amphetamines.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'melanin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of melanin
1843
MELANIN Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of melanin for English Language Learners
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: a dark brown or black substance that is a natural part of people's skin, hair, and eyes
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of melanin
: any of various black, dark brown, reddish brown, or yellow pigments of animal or plant structures (as skin, hair, the choroid, or a raw potato when exposed to air);
especially
: any of numerous animal pigments that are essentially polymeric derivatives of indole formed by enzymatic modification of tyrosine
Learn More about melanin
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Britannica English: Translation of melanin for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about melanin
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