albino

1 of 2

noun

al·​bi·​no al-ˈbī-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce albino (audio)
plural albinos
: an organism exhibiting deficient pigmentation
especially : a human being who is congenitally deficient in pigment and usually has a milky or translucent skin, white or colorless hair, and eyes with pink or blue iris and deep-red pupil

albino

2 of 2

adjective

: exhibiting the deficient pigmentation characteristic of albinos
albino sharks
The Draize test commonly uses six rabbits (preferably of the albino strain because of the clarity of their red eyes) to test a substance for eye irritancy.—Rachel Urquhart

Examples of albino in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
More albino news:Rare white moose spotted crossing the road in Alberta, Canada: Watch video Why are albino animals rare? —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Aug. 2024 Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin laws protect albino/white deer from being hunted. —Elizabeth Carlen, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The reality star posted photos on Instagram of her dressed as an albino Alligator. —Lori A Bashian Fox News, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2024 Spotting an albino squirrel on UT's campus may be good luck, but what about an albino raccoon? —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for albino 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Spanish & Portuguese; Portuguese albino, borrowed from Spanish, noun derivative of albino, adjective, "lacking in pigment," from albo "white" (borrowed from Latin albus) + -ino -ine entry 1 — more at album

Adjective

borrowed from Spanish, "lacking in pigment" — more at albino entry 1

Note: Alternatively the adjective could be from attributive use of the noun.

First Known Use

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of albino was in 1708

Dictionary Entries Near albino

albinism

albino

Albinoni

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Albino.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/albino. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

albino

noun
al·​bi·​no al-ˈbī-nō How to pronounce albino (audio)
plural albinos
: an organism deficient in coloring matter
especially : a human being or animal that is born with a lack of pigment and usually a milky skin, white or colorless hair, and eyes with pink or blue iris and deep red pupil
albinism
ˈal-bə-ˌniz-əm
al-ˈbī-
noun
albino adjective

Medical Definition

albino

noun
al·​bi·​no al-ˈbī-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce albino (audio)
plural albinos
: an organism exhibiting deficient pigmentation
especially : a human being who is congenitally deficient in pigment and usually has a milky or translucent skin, white or colorless hair, and eyes with pink or blue iris and deep-red pupil
albinic
-ˈbin-ik How to pronounce albino (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on albino

Nglish: Translation of albino for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of albino for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about albino

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
sweet smart pug puppy dog sitting in front of blackboard with chalk question marks
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...