melanism Syllabification: (mel·a·nism)Pronunciation: /ˈmeləˌnizəm/Definition of melanism noun chiefly Zoology unusual darkening of body tissues caused by excessive production of melanin, especially as a form of color variation in animals. Derivatives melanicPronunciation: /məˈlanik/ adjective melanisticPronunciation: /ˌmeləˈnistik/ adjective melanism in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of melanism in the British & World English dictionary
