melanismn.
/ˈmɛlənɪz(ə)m/, U.S. /ˈmɛləˌnɪzəm/ 1. Zoology and Physiology. Darkness of colour in an animal resulting from a hereditary excess of melanin in the skin, fur, feathers, scales, etc. Cf. melanosis n. 1, industrial melanism n. at industrial adj. and n. Compounds 2.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of animals generally > [noun] > abnormal pigmentation
melanism1843
erythrism1886
1843 J. C. Prichard Nat. Hist. Man 39 Throughout intertropical America, both melanism and albinism, as he [sc. F. Roulin] terms the black and white varieties, make their appearance very frequently in warm-blooded animals.
1882 Field Naturalist July 32 Melanism occurs in various species of animals, but is far rarer than albinism.
1911 Encycl. Brit. XVI. 456/1 Perfectly black leopards, which in certain lights show the characteristic markings on the fur, are not uncommon, and are examples of melanism.
1974 M. W. Fox Understanding your Cat ii. 36 Melanism (black coat) is more common, as in the jungle cat and Geoffroy's cat.
1993 E. N. K. Clarkson Invertebr. Palaeontol. & Evol. (ed. 3) ii. 36/2 The case of ‘industrial melanism’ in moths has been extensively studied and quoted.
2. Chiefly Ornithology. A melanic variety of a given species. Now rare.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of animals generally > [noun] > abnormal pigmentation > variety
melanism1863
1863 J. R. Wise New Forest 309 Mr. Rake informs me that a Sabine's snipe..which is now generally regarded as only a melanism of this species was shot at Picket Post, Jan., 1859.
1889 H. Saunders Man. Brit. Birds 12 An example of the Siberian Thrush..originally supposed to be a melanism of the Redwing.
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1885 Cassell's Encycl. Dict. IV. ii Melanism, a disease producing blackness in plants.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1843