a cell that develops into either a melanocyte or a melanophore
melanoblast in American English
(məˈlænəˌblæst, ˈmelənə-)
noun
Biology
an undifferentiated cell that develops into a melanophore or melanocyte
Word origin
[1900–05; melano- + -blast]This word is first recorded in the period 1900–05. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: cathode-ray tube, geopolitics, hormone, hydroplane, throwaway-blast is a suffix meaning “bud, sprout,” “embryo,” “formative cells or cell layer”. Otherwords that use the affix -blast include: epiblast, megaloblast, mesoblast, odontoblast, trophoblast