melanism

noun mel·a·nism \ ˈme-lə-ˌni-zəm \

Definition of melanism

1 : an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism — compare industrial melanism

2 : intense human pigmentation of the skin, eyes, and hair

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melanistic

play \ˌme-lə-ˈnis-tik\ adjective

See melanism defined for kids

Recent Examples of melanism from the Web

But why melanism evolved in cats is a trickier question.

— sergio pitamitz, National Geographic, "Exclusive: Rare Black Wildcat Caught on Film in Africa," 22 Mar. 2017
The animal is melanistic—its genes carry a mutation that creates more dark pigment than light pigment, according to Eduardo Eizirik, a biologist and cat-melanism expert at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.

— sergio pitamitz, National Geographic, "Exclusive: Rare Black Wildcat Caught on Film in Africa," 22 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'melanism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.