n.
Pronunciation: ˌ me-l ə - ' n ō -m ə
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -mas also -ma · ta \ -m ə -t ə \
Etymology: New Latin
Date: 1838
1 : a tumor containing dark pigment
2 : a highly malignant tumor that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely