What does melanic mean?
Melanic is a technical term for something characterized by dark pigmentation caused by melanin. It is used chiefly in biology and zoology when discussing organisms, forms, or populations whose coloration results from an unusually high amount or distribution of melanin. In zoological contexts, the adjective may describe an individual or population: a melanic animal differs in coloration from a typical or non-melanic form of the same species. The related noun refers to such an organism or variant. Melanism can result from normal genetic variation, as in naturally dark color phases, but the term can also describe pathological or experimentally induced pigmentation. Because its uses are largely scientific, melanic is uncommon in everyday speech. It is nevertheless a precise counterpart to terms such as leucistic, which denotes unusually pale or reduced pigmentation.
Characterized by or relating to melanism or increased melanin pigmentation.
"The melanic variant was more common in the shaded portion of the forest."
Chiefly used in biological, ecological, and zoological contexts.
An organism, form, or phenotype exhibiting dark coloration due to melanin pigmentation.
"Each melanic displayed a slightly different pattern on its wings."
This noun is uncommon and is most likely to occur in specialist biological writing.
The plural is rare and chiefly appears in specialist biological writing.
"The melanics were distinguished from pale and normally colored individuals."
Melanic is to dark pigmentation what leucistic is to pale pigmentation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of melanic
Melanic belongs to a scientific vocabulary built on the melan- element, as seen in melanin, melanism, and melanocyte. This element ultimately derives from Greek melas, meaning “black,” through the terminology of melanin pigmentation. The suffix -ic was added to form an adjective describing pigmentation associated with melanin.
Related word forms
How melanic is actually used
The word is chiefly technical, especially in biology, ecology, and zoology. As a noun it is relatively uncommon and is usually used in specialist discussions of color variants or populations.