melanin Syllabification: (mel·a·nin)Pronunciation: /ˈmelənin/Definition of melanin noun a dark brown to black pigment occurring in the hair, skin, and iris of the eye in people and animals. It is responsible for tanning of skin exposed to sunlight. Origin: mid 19th century: from Greek melas, melan- 'black' + -in1melanin in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of melanin in the British & World English dictionary
