n.
Pronunciation: ' me-l ə - ˌ ni-z ə m
Function: noun
Date: 1843
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
– mel · a · nis · tic \ ˌ me-l ə - ' nis-tik \ adjective