melanism: Meaning and Definition of

mel•a•nism

Pronunciation: (mel'u-niz"um), [key]
— n.
  1. the condition in human beings of having a high amount of melanin granules in the skin, hair, and eyes.
  2. the condition in which an unusually high concentration of melanin occurs in the skin, plumage, or pelage of an animal.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: