melanin Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun insoluble pigments that account for the color of e.g. skin and scales and feathers

WordNet

Mel"a*nin noun
Etymology
Gr. , -, black.
Definitions
  1. (Physiol.) A black pigment found in the pigment-bearing cells of the skin (particularly in the skin of the negro), in the epithelial cells of the external layer of the retina (then called fuscin), in the outer layer of the choroid, and elsewhere. It is supposed to be derived from the decomposition of hemoglobin.

Webster 1913